Next Saturday, Nashua’s 16th Annual Winter Holiday Stroll will be taking over Main Street from 5 to 10 p.m. Organized by the Great American Downtown, this event serves as a fundraiser for the non-profit organization, and is the biggest dining and shopping event of the year for downtown businesses. As always, there will be a raffle, where people can win tickets to Chunky’s, gift certificates to downtown restaurants and shops, and skiing/snowboarding packages, to name a few. New this year, however, is that the beer garden will be located on High St., and all ages are welcome (although 21-year-olds will be given wristbands). In regards to the food, “regular” food vendors will be next to Sovereign Bank or next to Saffron Bistro - however, 12 downtown restaurants have also signed on to serve their fare right outside their own eateries. Attendees can taste creations from the likes of Fody’s Tavern, Unum’s, Stella Blu, and San Francisco Kitchen, to name a few. For a full list of participating restaurants and Winter Stroll activities, click here. GAD picked the right year/economic climate to get local restaurants involved. Who plans to attend this year’s Stroll, and which restaurant’s food are you most excited to try?

Milford’s getting a new restaurant, and this is news worth tweeting about. The former French Bistro in M-town will soon be taken over by the Rustic Leaf, run by the previous owners of The Seedling Cafe. I received this juicy tip from a colleague who recently spoke with the Rustic Leaf owners for a project. He is under the impression that the Rustic Leaf’s menu will be similar to that of the Seedling’s. Maybe having another organic, vegetarian-friendly cafe in the area will help cut the lunch lines down in Nashua. No word yet on when the Rustic’s slated to open, but I have a feeling it’s going to be as highly anticipated as Five Guys’ opening was. Who else is excited for this new addition to the local food scene?

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year (is anyone surprised?). Every year, I am surrounded by 20+ members of my family, stuffing our faces with homemade food, washed down with wine and Irish coffee. However, I understand that there are many families out there that aren’t this lucky - and too many people don’t have anywhere to go on Thanksgiving. This year, of all years, it is important to provide those in need with the things many of us take for granted; i.e., food on Thanksgiving. Harbor Homes on High Street relies on local residents to do just that. The company is holding their 9th annual Thanksgiving Dinner this year for individuals living in their cars, on the streets, or in shelters. However, Harbor Homes is in need of a few items in order to provide this meal. Items like pies and fruit (apples, oranges, pears) are in high demand. Harbor Homes is expecting to serve more meals this year than ever, so donating turkey, vegetables, desserts, or monetary donations in general are encouraged - they could even use some volunteers. The dinner will be held on Tuesday, November 24th from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To donate, or for more information, call Harbor Homes at 882.3616.

C is for cookie, and that’s good enough for me: the 13th Annual Inn to Inn Holiday Cookie and Candy Tour is gearing up once again for the second weekend in December. Each of the 15 inns located in the White Mountains will be offering attendees cookies, candies, and other treats, while showing off their exquisite holiday decorations. Guests will also receive recipes at each stop, and the annual gingerbread contest will be in full swing, where each inn displays a homemade gingerbread sculpture. Local businesses donate the sculptures to replicate their favorite non-profit organizations, and tour goers vote for their favorite gingerbread creation at the end of the tour. I traveled along the tour last year with my mother, and the event was definitely worth the ride; just beware that GPS doesn’t like the signal up there, and the folks behind the cookie tour don’t provide you with detailed directions.

If you want to go: Each participating inn is offering two tickets (a $54 value) with their cookie tour package, including a two-night stay and breakfast for two each day.  Some inns have even added dinner to their packages. For a complete list of packages, visit http://www.countryinnsinthewhitemountains.com/holiday_cookie_tour_packages.htm.  If you’d rather purchase tickets for just the culinary adventure itself, the price is $27 per person and you can order them December 1st through 8th by calling 800-233-8309 or 603-383-9339.

All aboard, mercury munchers: there’s a sushi buffet in town. Thousand Crane II, one of the most recent additions to downtown (although it’s been in Manchester for seven years), offers a buffet of their fresh raw fish every Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. The best part? The fee is under $20 per person. The Chinese and Japanese eatery serves up their Nigiri, Alaskan King Maki, and Sampor, to name a few. The folks at Thousand Crane know their sushi, too - their spicy tuna roll, that I tried at the Taste of Downtown, was actually spicy and tasted like it was pulled from the ocean that day. Thousand Crane also lets fish lovers enjoy their sushi with citrus and vinegar based sauces, in addition to soy sauce. I’m liking the uniqueness. Anyone been to the sushi buffet before? Let us know if it’s worth the stomach space.

In lieu of the recent Fort Hood tragedy, there’s no better time to celebrate Veteran’s Day. Amidst all the gratitude our beloved military members will be receiving that day, they still have to eat; and one such restaurant is taking the initiative. Uno’s Chicago Grill is honoring our men and women of the armed services on Wednesday by keeping their wallets and stomachs full. Uno’s Chicago Grill is giving all members of the military (active or not) a free entree or individual pizza with purchase of an entree or pizza of equal or greater value. All Uno’s asks is that you show up in uniform, with a picture of you in uniform, or with your military or veteran’s ID. So eat up, military members, and thank you for all that you’ve done/you do for us.