John Edwards sat in a tiny booth looking down happily at a plastic tray piled high with fried apples, fried fish, corn bread, baked macaroni and country vegetables.
A few feet away, his state campaign manager, John Moylan, sat over his own orange tray filled with Southern lunch staples at OJ.'s Diner in Greenville, S.C. He said being able to sit down to eat was a welcome change for both the presidential candidate and his staff.
"This has been the highlight of the last few days," he said. "And for John, there is nothing he enjoys more than this kind of food."
Life on a presidential campaign doesn't give candidates a lot of time to relax-especially for breakfast, lunch or dinner. That means a lot of pizza scarfed down on plane rides, fast food grabbed on the way to an event or greasy rally food stuffed into to-go boxes and eaten on the fly.
"Many stops along the campaign trail include an array of great food, but I'm often speaking and meeting the people, so I try to pack a meal to eat on the road between stops," said former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee during an interview with C&E.
Huckabee, who lost 110 pounds in recent years and took up running, may be the pickiest eater on the campaign trail. The Republican candidate said he's always looking for something nutritious.
"I start off with a good protein breakfast, I'll have a protein bar or peanuts as a mid-morning snack. For lunch I like to eat a nice salad, followed up with a piece of fruit in the afternoon, and do my best to have a good, healthy dinner," he said.
He may be the exact opposite of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
"As a general rule, he'll eat anything they bring him," said Charlie Black, McCain's senior advisor. "It's not in his nature to stop and be formal."
Others, such as Sen. Joe Biden, DDeI., are always on the lookout for an authentic Italian restaurant. "Nothing with a white table cloth," said Danny O'Brien, the senator's political director. "He wants red gingham."
One of Team Biden's favorite stories from the trail was landing in Las Vegas, and the local driver telling them about a sub shop that was started by a man from Delaware. The staff decided to check the place out. On the wall? A picture of Biden.
"That's his place now in Las Vegas," O'Brien said.
It's not uncommon for a particular restaurant to become a candidate's favorite. Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., has become a fan of the Chestnut Grill in Orangeburg, S.C.
"We are probably going to have stock in the Chestnut by the time the campaign is over," said Michelle Macrina, a campaign spokeswoman.
It can be so tough to find a decent meal between campaign stops that suddenly those convenience store snacks actually look appealing to Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. But he and his staff do their best to stay healthy.
"Generally when he's really going, he usually sticks with a protein, a meat and vegetable," said Roy Tyler, a Hunter spokesman. "When we're snacking it's generally a trail mix. Our favorite places to stop are the independently owned small business...that's what we seek out. We meet some great people that way."
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Calif, said his favorite campaign trail food is bacon and eggs, a meal he sometimes eats for breakfast, lunch and dinner-all in the same day. "A campaign can be described as adventures in which you eat, speak, drive, eat, speak drive, eat, speak then go to bed," he said.
[Sidebar]
On The Road Again
A sampling of candidates and their eating habits, based on interviews with their staff and their financial reports.
When not scouting for Italian food, Sen. Joe Bidet 's staff subsides on deli sandwiches. The candidate usually prefers turkey.
Biden isn't the only one who prefers the bird once pitched by Benjamin Franklin as a national emblem. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romnev' "big thing is his turkey subs," according to his staff.
Being a medical doctor, Texas Rep. Ron Paul exercises every day and eats healthy food in modest portions. He doesn't have a favorite food, but is known to miss his homegrown tomatoes.
Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson's staff is in a constant challenge to stay away from junk food. The candidate often eats a packed sandwich and fruit in the car. What to drink with such a health-conscious meal? Water, naturally.
While the candidate snacks on sandwiches, Thompso 's staff likes a good pizza pie. Bill's Pizza & Steakhouse, Happy Joe's Pizza and Pagliai's Pizza all show up in the campaign's accounts.
Want to eat where the candidates eat? Then you may want to check out the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse chain. During the first quarter of 2007, Sen. Hillary Clin 's campaign spent $2,412 there, Sen. Biirack Obama spent $3,900 and Biden spent $557.
Apparently Romney and his staff need a strong jolt to keep going on the campaign. They've spent more than $7,600 so far with the Massachusetts-based Atlantic Coffee Company.
Romney and former Sen. ohn Edward also have spent some money at Boston-based caf� Au Bon Pain.
Edwards' campaign makes a lot of trips to the grocery store. Campaign receipts have come from Harris Teeter, Hyvee and Safeway supermarkets in the last three months. Sen. John McCain also did some shopping at Bloom stores, to the tune of $1,700.
While some of the campaigns have been taken to task for $1,000-plus bills at high-end restaurants, fast-food does hold its place. Clinton, for example, once spent $170 on Papa John's Pizza. McCain spent $174 at Quizno's.
Sen. Chris Dodd spent $301 at the 801 Steak and Chop House, which humbly calls itself the place to be seen during the Iowa Caucus.
-John Boyanoski and Beth LaMontagne
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