While eating breakfast this morning at Deluxe, I watched a man step behind the bar and start fiddling with the shake machine. I always sit at the counter, so I saw him grab a jar of Skippy Peanut Butter and a tub of Marshmallow fluff. Finishing off my three eggs, potatoes, and toast, I heard him chatting with another diner. “This is a special shake,” he explained, adding milk and a dash of chocolate syrup to the silver shake canister. “And no, I don’t work here.” “Anymore,” he added, grinning like a lazy cat as he processed his magic mix. He poured off two shot glasses worth of the Marshmallow Peanut Butter Chocolate Shake and handed one to me.
In Tennessee, GooGoo Clusters are king. A combination of peanuts, caramel, and marshmallow nougat all coated in milk chocolate, GooGoo Clusters started in 1912. The Standard Candy Company invented the treat—it was actually the first ever “candy bar” with multiple ingredients! I tried GooGoo Clusters when I visited Nashville for a debate tournament. At Montgomery Bell Academy, National Forensic League President Billy Tate handed out GooGoos to all competitors. A sign of southern hospitality, the GooGoo cluster really is a great tasting candy, even if it’s more of a patty than bar. This special shake at Deluxe tasted like a liquid GooGoo cluster. Offered as a gesture of (unauthorized) hospitality, it reaffirmed my faith in Deluxe. Next time you visit Deluxe, ask for the Marshmallow Peanut Butter Chocolate combination—an off-menu dessert perfect for muggy summer nights.
