Informative Speech By Abby Bruner

Title: A Central Illinois Treasure: The Horseshoe General Purpose Statement: To inform.

Specific Purpose Statement: By the end of my speech you will know more about the horseshoe .

Attention Getter: Scrumptious. Delectable. Savory. Heavenly. Carb-filled. Heart attack on a plate. I am sure we are all picturing a food that comes to mind when these adjectives are heard. Maybe you are picturing a huge piece of Chicago-style pizza with extra . Maybe you are picturing an overflowing bowl of your favorite type of pasta with a side of garlic bread. Or maybe it’s a large helping of country fried steak smothered in white country with a side of mashed potatoes.

All of these foods definitely fit the description I stated previously, but if you are from around Springfield, Illinois, then a food unknown to the majority of the people living in the United States would have come to your mind. This is a food that did not originate in Italy, Mexico, China, or Japan. This is a food that is one hundred percent made in America; I am talking about the horseshoe sandwich.

Audience Relevance: Knowing the history of your town and what makes it unique is important. I believe it is equally important to know this about the town your college is located in. Since Illinois College is in a town located only thirty miles from Springfield, it is influenced by Springfield in many ways, including the food that is offered here in Jacksonville. People in Jacksonville are just as familiar with the horseshoe as the residents in Springfield are. Since Jacksonville is home to Illinois College students for eight months out of the year, they should all be familiar with the food as well.

Credibility: I was born and raised here in Jacksonville, so I grew up knowing what a horseshoe was and have eaten my fair share of them. My mom and I even used to make our own homemade version of them for dinner from time to time.

Central Idea: Knowing about the horseshoe sandwich will offer you insight into unique history of Central Illinois and widen your taste buds to include a calorie monster of a sandwich.

Preview of 3 Main Points: Today, I first will explain what a horseshoe sandwich is. Then, I will inform you about the history of the horseshoe. Lastly, I will tell you a variety of places you can go in both Springfield and Jacksonville to get a horseshoe. Bruner 1

Transition: So, what exactly is a horseshoe?

Main Point I: What is a Horseshoe Sandwich A. Roberta Codemo (2009) of the Examiner says that a horseshoe is “a combination of bread, meat, , and cheese sauce on a plate” (p. 1). Sounds simple enough, right? But there is much more variation to a horseshoe than what she leads you to believe. 1. The bread varies from a thin slice of white bread to a carb filled slab of Texas and is generally served up as two slices side by side. 2. Meats options vary depending on the restaurant you are eating at. Some of the options offered at many locations include , breaded chicken, grilled chicken, chicken strips, tenderloin, bacon, , corned beef, and pretty much any other meat you can think of. 3. The French fries vary also. Some restaurants use thin fries, while others use thick cut fries. Some use crinkle fries and some use shoestring fries. The cheese sauces are either yellow or white. 4. These horseshoes are massive. a. They usually weigh in at roughly 1,900 calories. b. For people who want to experience the horseshoe, but do not make themselves miserable, can order a smaller half portion of a horseshoe that the restaurants like to call a ponyshoe. It weighs in at a lower calorie count, but still takes a punch to your waistline coming in at around 1,300 calories (Barrett, 2010).

Transition: Now that you know what a horseshoe consists of, where did it come from?

Main Point II: The History of the Horseshoe B. The horseshoe sandwich started out being served at one of Springfield’s most fancy restaurants located in one of its nicest hotels: The Red Lion Room at the Leland Hotel (Glatz, 2012). 1. No one is one hundred percent sure who the real creator of the horseshoe was, but credit is usually given to Joe Schweska who came up with the idea in 1928 (Glatz, 2012). 2. Horseshoes got their name because they were originally served with ham from a bone-in ham, which provided the horseshoe shape and the fries were supposed to look like the nails on a horseshoe. The portions also used to be much smaller with thinly sliced meats. Now days, the meats are piled on with even more fries piled on top of that (Glatz, 2012).

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3. The popularity of the horseshoe has done nothing but grow since its initial arrival to the menus of Springfield and other surrounding towns. Joe Barrett (2010) stated, “By the 1970s, the horseshoe had become a workday lunch item at many establishments” (p. 2). He also interviewed Kitty McHenry of Amber Jack Steakhouse who said, “Every local restaurant must have it, because customers come looking for it” (2010, p. 2). It is very evident that even though this food is nowhere near healthy for you, it is what the people of central Illinois want.

Transition: Now that the history has been told, let us move on to the most important part…

Main Point III: Where can you go to get one of these? C. There are many restaurants in both Springfield and Jacksonville that you can find horseshoes at. 1. One of the most popular places to get a horseshoe in Springfield is D’Arcy’s Pint. According to the Best of 2012, D’Arcy’s Pint was voted the best restaurant to get a horseshoe at (IT Staff, 2012). Horseshoes are constantly being brought out of the kitchen. It is definitely the most popular item on the menu. D’Arcy’s menu also has a couple of unique meat choices that include walleye, chili cheeseburger, and pastrami (IT Staff, 2012). If you plan to go to D’Arcy’s at any meal, be prepared to wait. People line up outside the door for their chance to take a bite of a horseshoe (IT Staff, 2012). D’Arcy’s was featured in a popular Travel Channel TV show called Man vs. Food starring Adam Richman that I would like to share with you. As you can see these things are mouth-watering. 2. Here in Jacksonville there are quite a few choices as well. One of my personal favorites is Mulligan’s. It is located on the west side of the downtown square. It has only been open for a few years, but they know how to whip up a horseshoe. Right around the square from Mulligan’s on the south side is another restaurant called Brickhouse Barbeque. It has horseshoes very similar to Mulligan’s since they have the same owner, but they use a different kind of fries. Even our own local Steak n’ Shake serves up its version of the horseshoe with their steakburger, thin n’ crispy fries and cheese sauce, which is only a local thing. Other Steak n Shake’s do not offer horseshoes (Barrett, 2010). 3. The horseshoe does seem to be branching out in some areas though. A place offering them on their menu opened in the last few years down in St. Louis (Figueras, 2011). The horseshoe may not be a secret treasure forever.

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Transition: In conclusion…

Review of 3 Main Points: IV. I hope that this speech has inspired you to go out and try a horseshoe for yourself, if you have never tasted one before. If you have, I hope you will go try one at a location I have mentioned that you have not been to before. The horseshoe is only available in this area, so if you don’t try one while you are at Illinois College, you won’t find one at home to try. The horseshoe has been around for decades and has gone through a lot of changes over the years, but it is still around for a reason. The people of central Illinois LOVE them. D’Arcy’s Pint, Mulligan’s, Brickhouse Barbeque, and even our local Steak n’ Shake all have fabulous variations of the horseshoe at your disposal.

End With Style: So, the next time you treat yourself to food that isn’t Chartwell’s, keep a look out for a horseshoe on the menu so you can try your own little piece of central Illinois’ treasure.

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Work Cited Barrett, J. (2010, March 30). “Springfield’s Horseshoe Deliver a Kick in the Gut. “Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com. Codema, R. (2009, September 5). The Horseshoe Sandwich: Springfield’s Culinary Heart Attack on A Plate. Examiner. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com. Figueras, L. (2011, January 26). The Scoop: Horseshoe House to Bring Famous Springfield Sandwich to Delmar Loop. Sauce Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.saucemagazine.com. Glatz, J. (2012, February 2). What Happened to Horsehsoes? Illinois Times. http://illinoistimes.com. IT Staff. (2012, October 25). Best Horseshoes. Illinois Times. Retrieved from http://illinois times.com.

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