Largely unavailable outside the area, beef on weck is Buffalo’s lesser known contribution to the American palate.
You know to get barbecue while in Kansas City, deep dish pizza in Chicago or sourdough bread when in San Francisco (even in a bread bowl down by the Wharf, an area the natives avoid). But those aren't the only towns with a dish to call their own. There are scores of other regional culinary delights out there, downright oddities that can't be found outside their hometowns or surrounding areas. We've rounded up some of the tastier ones -- and a few of the more unusual. This listing, however, is far from conclusive so let us know on the message boards if we missed a favorite regional food where you live.
The Horseshoe Sandwich -- Springfield, Ill.
Until Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy (and later, his running mate) there, Springfield, Ill., hadn't seen a lot of action since Abe Lincoln left for the White House. Sure, there's the new museum and library built to honor Lincoln, and his Springfield home, grave and law offices remain major tourist destinations. But one of the more unique things that Springfield can call its very own is gastronomic: the horseshoe sandwich.
Yes, somewhere buried under the fries is an open-face sandwich.
The horseshoe exemplifies the phrase "heart attack on a plate." Start with two slices of white bread, often Texas toast, side by side. (This sandwich is open-faced.) Add your meat of choice: hamburger patties (the most common pick), turkey, ham, chicken, even pork tenderloin all reside here. Now add a layer of fries -- yes, fries on the sandwich, not on the side. Then, drench it all in a melted cheese sauce reminiscent of Welsh rarebit, which varies by restaurant. The cheese sauce is what sets each horseshoe apart.
Most local eateries serving pub fare offer their own version, and there's long-standing debate over whose is king. Bernie and Betty's, an old pizza joint, gets high marks from locals, the long-standing rumor being that the cheese sauce's secret ingredient is beer. The Track Shack always rates extremely well with word-of-mouth mentions for its 'shoe, especially the one with Canadian bacon.
