Lost in all the excitement about the opening in March of the new McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, was the fact that it offers a new place to eat on the Concord, NH, skyline. The Countdown Café is now open to the public, and sits in the shadow of the 92 foot Mercury-Redstone Rocket at the Discovery Center.

Menu selections include seasonal local vegetables, unusual soups, salads, sandwiches and hot entrees. Choose from a variety of personal pizzas, planet-named wraps,  (including the Neptune wrap, with mixed greens, roasted red peppers, a pepperocini, kalamata olives, Feta, and Greek dressing). See the whole menu at http://www.starhop.com/library/pdf/menu.pdf.

The Café is run by Tidewater Catering Group, which operates the Currier Museum of Art's new eatery in Manchester to strong reviews. Tidewater offers event catering at the Discovery Center as well.

Café hours are Saturday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The new McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is a lively science center, featuring 21st century interactive exhibits on aviation, astronomy, Earth and space sciences, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a variety of science and engineering programs.

The engaging, robust educational programs are geared towards families, teens, seniors, students, community groups, and lifelong learners. The Discovery Center includes facilities for conferences and special events, and a NASA Educator Resource Center.