SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Some of the most notable things about Springfield include Abraham Lincoln and the infamous horseshoe sandwich, but when did this dish make its debut in the capital city?

Tony Leone, co-author of Springfield's Celebrated Horseshoe Sandwich, said Springfield is the horseshoe capital of the United States.

As the story goes, the horseshoe was invented in 1928 by a chef at the Leland Hotel.  

"The chef, Joe Schweska, bought too much ham for Easter Sunday, and they had plenty left over. His wife said, why don't you make it into a breakfast sandwich and put a welsh rarebit cheese sauce on it," Leone said. "So, he did an open-face sandwich with a poached egg and a ham steak on a steak platter and put wedged potatoes around it like fries."

The Leland Hotel is no longer in operation and has since turned into the Chamber of Commerce Building, but the horseshoe sandwich became such a staple that people can find it in nearly 80 restaurants in the Springfield area.  

"D'Arcy's Pint has to be one of the most popular," Leone said.

Hallie Pierceall, owner of D'Arcy's, said she never expected to sell hundreds of horseshoes on a daily basis.

"Fifty to 60 percent of what we sell in a day is often horseshoes. Early in the week, four, five, 600 [horseshoes], on the weekend 700 or more," Pierceall said. "During the holidays, we have an ongoing count for like Black Friday, and it's usually over 1,000."

While this dish might not be world famous, the horseshoe is a dish that is sure celebrated in Springfield.

"Definitely it's a Springfield item," Pierceall said. "You know 30 miles outside of here, you might have not even heard of it."