Although Express Cafe at 182 Main Street has been open for a few months now, the light breakfast and lunch spot (next to Fresh) will be holding a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting on Wednesday at 10 a.m. The ceremony is put on by Great American Downtown, and Mayor Lozeau will make a welcoming address before the ribbon cutting at 10. The cafe will also be providing sample items for attendees to try - just looking over their menu, I’m hoping the Falafel Wrap, Turkey Bruschetta Panini and Mochaberry coffee are included in the tasting. Word on the street is Express Cafe even uses locally roasted coffee, gluten-free meats and the freshest produce they can find. Just by supporting local businesses, they can count on my attendance Wednesday morning.

Another local restaurant opens a new spot closer to the Nashua area: Thousand Crane, the Chinese eatery that’s been at 1000 Elm Street in Manchester, is opening a second location in our city. For the life of me, I can’t remember exactly where - I perused the take-home menu earlier today, and was told by two colleagues who have eaten at the Manchester spot that I must try the new place. Apparently, their seaweed salad and sushi are delish, and their fried offerings are not the overly-greasy concoctions some local Chinese restaurants tend to deliver. I’m pretty sure the phone number listed online for Thousand Crane in Manch is incorrect (not many phone numbers end in four 0’s), so calls into the existing restaurant weren’t answered, but apparently the Nashua place is already open. If you remember the address, unlike me, please let us know.