The Last Thing Frank Sinatra Ate Was A Simple And Nostalgic Classic

On the night of Frank Sinatra's passing on May 14th, 1998, he was at his Beverly Hills estate. He'd had a heart attack a year before and was suffering from declining health, but he still enjoyed music and food,  as long as it had no or minimal garlic, as his stomach couldn't handle the ingredient. So, one of the only other people in his estate, his wife Barbara, provided him with a simple grilled cheese sandwich that day. She often fed him his meals, but this time she gave him the sandwich by the pool. He ate it alone while peacefully relaxing in his wheelchair, but didn't end up finishing the dish. This simple, classic sandwich would end up being his last meal.

He had another heart attack and was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center that night. His wife told him to fight it, but he calmly replied from his hospital bed, "I'm losing." A short time later, at 10:50 p.m., he passed away at the age of 82 with Barbara by his side.

People tend to think of last meals as a big, grand afair usually. Considering Ol' Blue Eyes had been the life of many parties through his decades and was something of a foodie, the simplicity of this meal may seem shocking. After all, Sinatra always frequented Italian restaurants in his hometown as well as Los Angeles. But when you take a look at Sinatra's preferences and lifestyle, this straightforward sandwich actually seems like a perfect sendoff for the beloved crooner.

While Frank Sinatra was a huge celebrity, right up to the end of his days, he wasn't always living it up in luxurious style. Just as often, he preferred the simple things in life, and he loved grilled cheese. He also liked Campbell's canned chicken and rice, egg salad sandwiches, and burgers made by his friends. Sinatra's favorite breakfasts were surprisingly humble, tending to involve straightforward scrambled eggs. He wasn't averse to making hearty soups with a crockpot in his dressing room after shows, and his favorite dinner was his own mother's spaghetti and meatballs. The man simply liked comfort food, so it just makes perfect sense that his last meal would be something of that sort as well.

If you want to make your own version of his final meal, there are a few things you'll probably need. One is likely olive oil. We don't know the exact ingredients for his final fateful sandwich, but we know he liked to have his breakfast sandwiches with toast made with olive oil, so it's a good bet. Skip using mayo to make a crust, as he wasn't very fond of the condiment in chicken salad sandwiches. You should also keep things no-frills, avoiding fancy cheeses that just don't go with grilled cheese sandwiches. Instead, opt for basic cheese like American or cheddar, though he did enjoy a brie if you want to zhuzh it up a little. Your bread choice should be basic too, sticking with white.