Puritan Backroom
The Puritan Backroom is a 2020 James Beard Foundation Award America's Classic restaurant in Manchester, New Hampshire. The restaurant serves Greek-influenced New England cuisine and is known for their mudslides and for chicken tenders, which they invented in 1974.[1][2][3]
History
[edit]Arthur Pappas and Louis Canotas, Greek emigrants to the United States, opened the Puritan Confectionery Company in 1917.
In 1974, their children attached a back room for a restaurant. That same year, Charlie Pappas salvaged chicken pieces that had been trimmed from larger cuts, marinating and frying them to create chicken tenders.[4] Although references to chicken fingers and "chicken sticks" predate the introduction of chicken tenders at Puritan, it is difficult to tell if these refer to modern chicken tenders; a 1952 recipe for chicken fingers, for example, involves cream of chicken soup, pie crust, and shredded chicken.[5]
Puritan tenders are marinated in a pineapple juice marinade and then they use duck sauce as a dipping sauce. Marinated tenders are sometimes known as "Manchester chicken tenders" and are contrasted with "dry" tenders, which can be found at nearby restaurants like the Red Arrow Diner.[6] Puritan sells 6-8 tons of chicken tenders each week.[7]
As of 2020, the restaurant is run by the third and fourth generations of the Pappas family, including New Hampshire congressman Chris Pappas. Due to the importance of the New Hampshire presidential primary and the restaurant's location in the state's largest city, Puritan "has become a required stop for candidates passing through on the campaign trail. In an era of division, it is a rare nonpartisan space where everyone feels welcome."[1][2] George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Marco Rubio, and Mitt Romney are among the political figures who have visited the restaurant.[8][7]
Setbacks
[edit]On November 24, 2019, norovirus struck 18 people who attended a private function at the restaurant, and may have caused the death of one person.[8] In March 2020, a fire caused about $80,000 in damage.[9] In September 2020, they closed for a short time after a bartender tested positive for COVID-19.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "ANNOUNCING THE 2020 AMERICA'S CLASSICS WINNERS". James Beard Foundation. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ a b DeCosta-Klipa, Nik (November 13, 2015). "New Hampshire politics revolve around these famous chicken tenders". Boston.com. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ Olmsted, Larry (December 17, 2015). "N.H.'s Puritan, birthplace of the chicken tender". USA TODAY. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Fuhrmeister, Chris (December 17, 2015). "A New Hampshire Restaurant Says it Invented Chicken Tenders in 1974". Eater. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Skrzat, Ellie (August 28, 2023). "Searching for America's First Chicken Finger". TASTE. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Jagoda, Caleb (February 15, 2023). "Love Me Tenders: A Chicken Tender Crawl Through Manchester". New Hampshire Magazine. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Roof, Bryan (January 18, 2022). "On The Road: A Tender Side to a Political Battleground | Cook's Country". www.americastestkitchen.com. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ a b Fortier, Marc (December 27, 2019). "18 Sickened at Puritan Backroom Restaurant in NH, 1 Person Has Since Died". NBC Boston. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ "Fire damages Puritan Backroom restaurant". The Concord Monitor. March 25, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ Feely, Paul (September 15, 2020). "Puritan Backroom temporarily closed after bartender tests positive for COVID-19". The New Hampshire Union-Leader. Retrieved July 30, 2021.