[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 12, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Page S944]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                            PURITAN BACKROOM

 Ms. AYOTTE. Mr. President, I wish to recognize and honor the 
Puritan Backroom in Manchester, a beloved New Hampshire restaurant that 
celebrates its 40th anniversary this month. The Backroom has earned its 
place as one of the Granite State's most popular family restaurants, 
serving up delicious dishes for four decades.
  Today, the Backroom is part of a tradition of outstanding hospitality 
that dates back for nearly a century in New Hampshire's Queen City. In 
1917, Arthur Pappas and Louis Canotas, who immigrated to the United 
States from Greece, opened an ice cream and candy shop on Hanover 
Street. They started a restaurant the following year, the first of 
several in Manchester and beyond. In 1938, Pappas and Canotas opened an 
ice cream stand on Daniel Webster Highway, later adding a candy shop 
and a restaurant. In February 1974, the Puritan Backroom served its 
first meal, and it is now a fourth generation family business.
  There is something for everyone on the menu at the Backroom--from 
fresh seafood, to prime rib, to their saute specials.
  The restaurant is perhaps most famous for its fried chicken tenders, 
which come with duck sauce, and can be ordered in a few different 
ways--regular, coconut, buffalo or spicy. Or, you could get them 
broiled in the Backroom's special sauce. Or, you could have chicken 
tenders parmigiana or chicken tenders cacciatore.
  For dessert, you can not beat the Backroom's homemade ice cream. On 
hot summer nights, it is not unusual to see customers lined up in front 
of the ice cream stand, eager to choose from among dozens of flavors. 
You will find the standard offerings--vanilla and chocolate--alongside 
Backroom favorites, including: Baklava, Moose Tracks, and Mudslide. 
Speaking of mudslides, they're also on the drink menu, and the Backroom 
was once recognized for being the top buyer in the Nation of Baileys 
Irish Cream.
  The Puritan Backroom is more than just a restaurant. It is part of 
the heart and soul of Manchester, NH. It is a place for friends to meet 
and enjoy a meal. And it is a place for families to celebrate special 
occasions. I know that my family always looks forward to heading to the 
Backroom, where we know we will see familiar and friendly faces.
  The family ownership, management and staff of the Backroom have made 
this special restaurant a true New Hampshire treasure. The Backroom 
sets the standard for excellence in hospitality in the Granite State, 
and I am so proud to join citizens across our State in congratulating 
the Puritan Backroom on its 40th anniversary. 

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