Journal #33

Well, seeing that I am too lazy to think of an original object or idea that came out of Springfield, Illinois, I suppose I will just write about the example given, the horseshoe. There is a place on sort of the other side of town called Darcy's Pint that serves such amazing horseshoes. I think they are said to be the birthplace of the horseshoe. Now, for those people that may not know, a horseshoe is essentially an open-faced cheeseburger with french fries. They take a piece of bread and put it on the plate - just simple white bread. Next, they add on two hamburger patties, cooked to beautiful perfection. Then, they add on handfuls of freshly cut french fries. Finally, they ladle on a whole bunch of melted cheese, like Cheese-Wiz. It is traditionally served up to the customer on a clean white plate, hot, steaming, and ready for the sharing. It is pretty much a combination of cheese fries and a hamburger, all in one dish. There are many other restaurants around here that offer numerous variations of the classic hamburger horseshoe, such as chicken strip, pork tenderloin, turkey, ham, and even vegetarian, along with many others. The horseshoe has also spread to various states. I know some people in Missouri, Oklahoma, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and even California who have at least heard of the classic hamburger horseshoe. By the way, I am not sure if I have said this, but the chicken strip horseshoe is the best. A small-town bar & grill in Pleasant Plains serves an awesome version of this one. You can really get fairly creative with the horseshoe. I have seen bacon bits on top, the french fries replaced with pretzel sticks, and even a high-end and high cost horseshoe with lobster and something else on top. Basically, horseshoes are just so creative and delicious. They are so simple and full of warm goodness that I can barely type this without thinking about it and getting hungry. Mmmm...