Fool's Gold Loaf facts for kids
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| Type | Sandwich |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | Denver, Colorado |
| Created by | Colorado Mine Company |
| Main ingredients | Bread, creamy peanut butter, grape jelly, bacon |
| ~1,000 kcal | |
The Fool's Gold Loaf is a super-sized sandwich from the Colorado Mine Company restaurant in Denver, Colorado. It's made from a whole loaf of bread. This bread is warmed up and hollowed out. Then, it's stuffed with a whole jar of creamy peanut butter, a jar of grape jelly, and a pound of crispy bacon.
This amazing sandwich became famous because of the legendary singer Elvis Presley. The story goes that Elvis and his friends once flew all the way from his home, Graceland, just to get these sandwiches. They bought 30 of them! They spent two hours eating them with Perrier and champagne before flying back home. This wild story made the sandwich a legend. It's now talked about in many cookbooks, especially those about Elvis's love for food.
Contents
How the Fool's Gold Loaf Started
There are two main stories about how the Fool's Gold Loaf was created.
The Scotts' Story
One story says that Cindy and Buck Scott made the sandwich. They owned the Colorado Mine Company restaurant. According to writer Graeme Wood, Elvis got the recipe from the Scotts. He wanted his own chef to make it for him. However, Wood noted that the sandwich was never made again by Elvis's chef.
Nick Andurlakis's Story
Another story comes from Nick Andurlakis. He was a chef at the Colorado Mine Company. Nick says he helped create the sandwich. He also claims he was the one who suggested it to Elvis. Andurlakis even says he personally delivered the sandwiches to Elvis on that famous night.
The Sandwich's Name
The sandwich got its name to match the restaurant's theme. The Colorado Mine Company was decorated like a gold mine. When Elvis had his famous meal, the Fool's Gold Loaf cost $49.95. That was a lot of money back in 1976!
Making the Fool's Gold Loaf
Many people have shared the recipe for this unique sandwich. These include the book The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley and chef Nick Andurlakis.
Basic Recipe Steps
- First, a loaf of French white bread is used.
- It's covered with two tablespoons of margarine.
- Then, it's baked in the oven at 350 °F (175 °C) until it turns brown.
- Next, one pound of sliced bacon is fried until it's super crispy. The extra oil is drained off.
- The bread loaf is sliced lengthwise and hollowed out.
- Finally, it's filled with creamy peanut butter, grape jelly, and the crispy bacon.
Elvis's Special Order
Nick Andurlakis said that Elvis's sandwich was a bit different. He claims Elvis had his Fool's Gold Loaf with bacon, peanut butter, and blueberry preserves. The specific type of preserves was supposedly Dickinson's blueberry preserves.
Elvis's Famous Sandwich Trip
David Adler's book shares all the details about the night the Fool's Gold Loaf became super famous.
The Midnight Craving
It was February 1, 1976. Elvis Presley was at his home, Graceland, in Memphis. He was hanging out with two friends from the Denver police force. They started talking about the Fool's Gold Loaf. Suddenly, Elvis decided he wanted one right away! He had visited the restaurant before when he was in Denver.
The Jet Ride
Since his friends knew the restaurant owners, they all headed to the Memphis airport. They boarded Elvis's private jet, called the Lisa Marie. The flight to Denver took two hours. They landed at Stapleton International Airport at 1:40 AM. The plane pulled up to a special hangar. There, they were met by Buck Scott and his wife Cindy, the restaurant owners. They had brought 22 fresh Fool's Gold Loaves for everyone!
The Hangar Feast
Elvis and his friends spent two hours right there in the hangar. They ate the sandwiches and drank Perrier and champagne. Elvis even invited the plane's pilots to join them. After they finished their huge meal, they flew right back to Memphis. They never even left the Denver airport!
Media Attention
The story of the Fool's Gold Loaf and its connection to Elvis is often shared by the media.
Widespread Reports
News outlets like NBC's Today, the Joplin Globe, and the Gloucester Times have called the story a "legend." Doug Clark, a writer for The Spokesman Review, shared the popular story. He also noted that the Fool's Gold Recipe is "surprisingly tasty." He added that it contains about 8,000 calories (33,000 kJ), which is a lot of calories! The Smithsonian Magazine also mentioned the famous legend and sandwich.
Featured in Books and TV
The Fool's Gold Loaf has been in many books and cookbooks. David Alder's book, The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley, brought the sandwich national attention. Alder also worked on a TV show called The Burger and The King. Later, he released another book, Eating the Elvis Presley Way, which also featured the sandwich.
The sandwich is also mentioned in Ramble Colorado: The Wanderer's Guide to the Offbeat, Overlooked, and Outrageous. The Peanut Butter and Co. Cookbook talks about the Fool's Gold Loaf legend. It also connects it to the peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich, which is sometimes called the "Elvis sandwich."
Pop Culture Appearances
The Fool's Gold Loaf and its link to Elvis were shown in the 2013 romantic comedy movie The F Word (What If). The TV show The Last Leg also featured it to promote the movie.
A Fool's Gold Loaf was one of the ingredients used in a 2018 episode of Chopped. The episode was called "Grill Masters: Memphis."
In 2019, a restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri called Succotash made a 3-pound version of the Fool's Gold Loaf. This huge sandwich was part of the "Elvis Challenge" on the Cooking Channel's show Man v. Food.
Images for kids
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A Fool's Gold Loaf sandwich.
