Why Presidential Candidates Eat at the Red Arrow Diner in New Hampshire | Eater

"A century-old, 24-hour diner in Manchester, New Hampshire, that has become the quintessential stage for retail politics: its walls are plastered with decades of clippings and photographs of famous visitors (including Adam Sandler), and its uncut Americana menu ranges from hot turkey sandwiches and steak-and-eggs to theatrical items such as a mug of 20 strips of bacon and the over-the-top Newton Burger — a half-pound of ground beef, a deep-fried ball of mac-and-cheese, and melted American cheese sandwiched between two grilled-cheese sandwiches that was later rebranded as the Trump Tower Burger. As the premiere venue in the first-in-the-nation primary, it played a notable role in the 1992 Clinton retail-politics comeback and was cemented as an institution by subsequent campaigns; candidates of all parties make scheduled and off-the-record visits for quick photo ops or longer meet-and-greets. Regular rituals and staff choreography—bells for first-timers and “I’ve Been De-virginized” stickers—underscore the diner’s ceremonial place in campaigns, while on-the-ground scenes (for example, a recent candidate ordering a chicken-fried steak Benedict and spending an unusually long 40 minutes, even photographing with back-of-house staff) illustrate how the spot blends quotidian diner life with high-stakes politicking." - Gary He