“What If,” a romantic comedy starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, will open in late August. It’s about a couple of hipsters who have a witty chat about a peanut-butter sandwich created in Denver and beloved by Elvis Presley.
The sandwich, called the “Fool’s Gold,” was a novelty item on the menu at the now-closed Colorado Mine Company, where Nick Andurlakis was a teenage cook. The sandwich has a supporting role in the film, and a long history in Denver. Here’s how it all connects:
Sandwiched by love
“What If” opens in Denver Aug. 15. Set mostly in Toronto, it’s a charming movie aimed at 20-somethings who worry about friends, parties, careers and love. Friends Wallace (Radcliffe) and Chantry (Kazan) hide their growing attraction behind clever conversation about such things as the Elvis sandwich. It makes an appearance early in the film in the form of banter about the Internet, and returns towards the end as a symbol of the couple’s love.
Celebrity magnet
Despite his youth (“I was 16 or 17 at the time”), Andurlakis says he ran the kitchen at the popular restaurant.
“The Mine Company was like an Elway’s — it wasn’t unusual to have celebrities in the place,” says Andurlakis.
The Denver police who worked as bodyguards for visiting celebrities would often take the stars to the Mine Company after their shows. One night in 1976, the restaurant got a call that a VIP was on his way in.
“They all came in the back door, in uniform, and sat along the rails on the lower level. Then (Denver cop) Ron Pietrafeso says to me, ‘I want to introduce you to someone.’ I knew every cop in town and I’m like, ‘Who is this guy?’ “
At a table in the corner sat a beefy man in a double-breasted police uniform, complete with the hat. But something wasn’t right. “I said, ‘That kind of looks like Elvis Presley,’ and Ron says, ‘It is.’ So I said, ‘Hello Mr. Presley,’ and he said, ‘Call me Elvis.’ “
A favorite is born
The King asked the young cook what he recommended and Andurlakis suggested the Fool’s Gold sandwich, a sourdough loaf stuffed with peanut butter, blueberry jam and a pound of bacon.
“I made a really nice one for him, served it on a miner’s plate with about two pounds of fruit,” says Andurlakis.
Elvis liked the sandwich so much, he flew in his private jet out to Denver from Graceland one night to pick up sandwiches for his daughter Lisa Marie’s birthday. Mine Company owners Buck and Cindy Scott, Andurlakis and a waitress named Molly delivered the sandwiches to the plane at the Combs hangar at Stapleton.
“Elvis loved it. It’s a good sandwich. Every once in a while, someone will call in from Graceland and want to order one,” says Andurlakis.
Get it at Nick’s now
For the past 28 years, Nick and Kathleen Andurlakis have owned Nick’s Cafe, 777½ Simms St. ( foolsgoldloaf.com, 303-238-9670) in Golden, where they still serve the Fool’s Gold sandwich, $7, in a small room filled with Elvis memorabilia.
The walls tell the story of the sandwich and Elvis. Framed photos of The King, his airplane and his pals (Denver cops and Frank Sinatra, among others) hang among guitars, records and a whiteboard menu.
The cafe is open 5 a.m.-2 p.m Monday-Saturday, 5 a.m.-noon Sunday.
The recipe
Fool’s Gold Sandwich
Adapted from Nick Andurlakis, serves 8-10 people, or one Elvis.
Ingredients
1 foot-long loaf sourdough bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
16 ounces creamy peanut butter
16 ounces strawberry jam (the original used Dickinson’s blueberry preserves)
1 pound bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat the loaf in butter. Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes
While the bread is in the oven, fry the bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Slice the loaf in half lengthwise and hollow out the inside. Fill with an entire jar of peanut butter and an entire jar of jam. Top with bacon and put the top of the loaf back on. Slice to serve.
Benefit for young fan
The Andurlakises have befriended a young Elvis enthusiast named Steven Dochterman. His love of Elvis has helped him overcome learning disabilities and depression, and he hopes to travel to Memphis to record a CD at Sun Studio, where Elvis made his records. To that end, Nick’s Cafe is hosting a fundraiser Aug. 10, with a car show starting at 9 a.m. and live music starting at 1 p.m.
Timothy P. Irvin and Dennis Thornberry (coloradoelvis.com) will perform, and Dochterman will sing a couple of Elvis songs with them. Dochterman, 27, is unable to read or write, and taught himself to play guitar by ear. His favorite Elvis song is “If I Can Dream.”
Dochterman lives with his mom and attends programs for developmentally disabled adults at Able Colorado in Thornton. “I’m just a person trying to live a life. I want to save up some money to go to Sun Studios,” says the singer who is still trying to learn to read. “My dream is to read the books I have about Elvis.”
