It’s now May, and my calendar is starting to look like summer. Which means I have something going on most days of the week.

I’ve gotten in the habit of prepping salad ingredients for the week, which is really helping me eat healthy, even on the busiest of days.

Even so, I found some time in the past few weeks to hit a new restaurant, revisit one of my favorite sandwiches in the Twin Cities, take my kids for some excellent pizza and have a ladies-night dinner at a place I hadn’t been to for a while.

Altera

The johnnycake at Altera in St. Paul’s Highland Park. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

I ate at this Highland Park newbie right after it opened at the end of last year, and was impressed by how the former Agra Culture space had been transformed into an elegant dining room and pretty bar. It was the perfect spot for a last-minute date night.

Since my first visit, I couldn’t stop thinking about the johnnycake, a hybrid of cornbread and a cornmeal pancake. The fluffy cake is topped with a dollop of whipped honey butter and comes with a side of jalapeno-infused maple syrup. It was just as good the second time. In fact, I’m not sure I can eat here without ordering it.

We also loved the ultra-crispy, somewhat spicy Pok Pok wings that are accompanied by a generous portion of fish-sauce-infused marinated cucumbers. You know, for balance.

My husband and I were so full after these starters that we couldn’t finish the main dish we ordered to share — a springy gemelli with perfect, rosy shrimp, little tomatoes, lemon and parsley. No matter, it, accompanied with some of that leftover johnnycake, was an excellent lunch.

The cocktails here are great, too. My husband especially loved his slightly spicy, smoky old fashioned.

Altera: 721 S. Cleveland Ave., St. Paul; 651-788-7009; alterarestaurant.com

Tuna melt at Yum! Kitchen and Bakery

Tuna Melt at Yum! Kitchen + Bakery in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Why don’t more places make their own English muffins? Or their own potato chips, for that matter?

Both of these touches make the tuna melt at Yum one of my favorite sandwiches in the Twin Cities.

A tall, fluffy English muffin is halved and piled high with excellent tuna salad (I keep trying to remember to put Kalamata olives in mine at home), a fat slice of tomato and melty muenster cheese, then broiled to perfection. This open-face beauty — served with fresh-from-the-fryer delicate, golden brown potato chips and a crisp pickle — is shareable, especially if you plan to order dessert, and you definitely should. I recommend a slice of the Patticake or a cupcake, but you can’t go wrong with any of the offerings here.

Yum! Kitchen and Bakery: Four metro locations, including 164 N. Snelling Ave., St. Paul and 8340 City Centre Drive, Woodbury; yumkitchen.com

OG Zaza at King Coil Spirits

The Fredo pizza at OG Zaza at King Coil Spirits in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

My middle daughter was home for the weekend, so we decided to take the kids out for pizza.

I love the mid-century-modern vibe at King Coil, and thought it was time to check out the new pizza operation, OG Zaza, which serves excellent New Haven-style pizza all over the cities.

And the pizza here is great — we especially loved the Fredo, a crispy-chicken alfredo pie.

But I have a beef with the way ordering works and how the pizza is served.

You have to order separately from the distillery cocktail menu and from OG Zaza. There’s a QR code that takes you to a landing page with both menus and ordering systems. A server came to our table and took our drink orders, but explained that we’d have to order from a kiosk or online to get our pizzas. Confusing at best. And after we put our online order in, there were no instructions about how the food gets to your table. For the record, the pizzas sit at the counter until you pick them up. And, here’s the kicker, and the most annoying part: They are served in cardboard boxes, which makes eating them at a table inelegant at best. How hard would it be to serve them on more environmentally-friendly and less clunky aluminum trays?

On the plus side, it made taking our leftovers home easier. We only needed one box for that, though, and ended up throwing away three others.

OG Zaza at King Coil Spirits: 550 Vandalia St., Suite 140;  kingcoilspirits.com

A-Side Public House

A falafel burger at A-Side Public House in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

A night out with girlfriends was a great reason to return to this Randolph Avenue restaurant.

Curried vegetable dumplings at A-Side Public House in St. Paul. (Jess Fleming / Pioneer Press)

Great cocktails, French-influenced plates and a central location make it a popular place, so reservations are recommended if you plan to visit. Also, keep in mind that the space is extremely echoey and often filled with groups celebrating, so the noise level can be high. If you’re hard of hearing or looking for an intimate date-night spot, this is not the place for you.

We started with the curried vegetable dumplings, which are potato and carrot fritters spiked with curry and served in a creamy yogurt sauce and sprinkled with cashews and raisins. They were crispy, flavorful and could be a light dinner by themselves. We loved them.

We followed with a vegetable pot pie, topped with a lid of golden-brown, flaky pastry; tender, comforting short ribs; and an excellent veggie burger option for those who are sick of the usual grain patty — a fluffy, herbaceous falafel burger.

The patio, which sprawls out onto the sidewalk from the garage doors at the front of the restaurant, which used to be a fire station, is a great option for the noise-averse, and it just opened for the season!

A-Side Public House: 754 Randolph Ave., St. Paul;  651-756-1351; asidepublichouse.com

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Today is Thursday, May 8, the 128th day of 2025. There are 237 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On May 8, 1978, David R. Berkowitz pleaded guilty in a Brooklyn courtroom to murder, attempted murder and assault in connection with the “Son of Sam” shootings that claimed six lives and terrified New Yorkers. (Berkowitz was sentenced to six consecutive life prison terms.)

Also on this date:

In 1541, Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto reached the Mississippi River, the first recorded European to do so.

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Today in History: May 6, the Hindenburg crashes in flames in New Jersey

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How Alcatraz became America’s most notorious prison

In 1846, U.S. forces led by Gen. Zachary Taylor defeated Mexican forces near modern-day Brownsville, Texas, in the first major battle of the Mexican-American War.

In 1886, the first serving of Coca-Cola, which contained cocaine, was sold at a pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. (The drink became fully cocaine-free in 1929.)

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced in a radio address that Nazi Germany’s forces had surrendered, stating that “the flags of freedom fly all over Europe” on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day.

In 1973, members of the American Indian Movement and the Oglala Lakota tribe, who had occupied the South Dakota hamlet of Wounded Knee for 10 weeks, surrendered to federal authorities.

In 1984, the Soviet Union announced it would boycott the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

In 2020, U.S. unemployment surged to 14.7%, a level last seen when the country was in the throes of the Great Depression; the government reported that more than 20 million Americans had lost their jobs in April amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

Today’s Birthdays:

Biologist/TV presenter David Attenborough is 99.
Poet Gary Snyder is 95. Singer Toni Tennille is 85.
Pianist Keith Jarrett is 80.
Singer Philip Bailey (Earth, Wind and Fire) is 74.
Rock musician Chris Frantz (Talking Heads) is 74.
Rock musician Alex Van Halen is 72.
Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher is 68.
Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott is 66.
Filmmaker Michel Gondry is 62.
Actor Melissa Gilbert is 61.
Singer Enrique Iglesias is 50.
Musician Joe Bonamassa is 48.
Actor Domhnall Gleeson is 42.

One hundred and thirty-three cardinals have sequestered themselves behind the Vatican’s medieval walls for a conclave to elect a successor to Pope Francis.

The cardinals are cut off from the world at the Vatican, between residences and the Sistine Chapel, where they vote in secret — and in silence — beneath Michelangelo’s famed ceiling fresco of the Creation and his monumental “Last Judgment.”

The Associated Press has a livestream here:

The process — fictionalized in the 2024 political thriller “Conclave” — is said to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and is designed to be both contemplative and free from outside interference.

Taking no chances, the Vatican is asking cardinals to hand over their phones for the duration of the conclave and is deactivating cell phone coverage at the Vatican. It is using signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel and the Domus Santa Marta hotel and adjacent residence where the cardinals will sleep, to prevent surveillance and communication with the outside world.

Here are some things to know about the election of the 267th pontiff of the Catholic Church, which has 1.4 billion faithful across the world.

White or black smoke signals?

The electors cast paper ballots, and voting continues until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority, or 89 votes. After voting, ballots are burned in a special stove — black smoke signals no decision, while white smoke means a new pope has been chosen.

A first round produced dark smoke that rose into Wednesday’s night sky, sending a disappointed crowd to disperse in all directions.

Electors must be under 80 years old, and are more geographically diverse than ever. They represent Catholicism’s growing presence in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as its traditional power base in Europe.

What happens after a new pope is chosen?

Once a candidate receives the necessary votes and accepts, he chooses a papal name and enters the “Room of Tears” — named for the emotional weight of the responsibility ahead — to don his papal vestments.

Minutes later, he is introduced to the world from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica with the proclamation in Latin: “Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam!” (“I bring you tidings of great joy: We have a pope!”)

That will be immediately followed by the revelation of his baptismal name, in Latin, followed by the papal name he has chosen.

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What to know about the conclave to elect the next pope

Why does the pope matter beyond the Catholic Church?

Though the pope leads a religious institution, his influence extends far beyond it. Pope John Paul II played a pivotal role in supporting the Solidarity movement in his native Poland and encouraging resistance to Soviet domination in Eastern Europe. His moral leadership was credited by many with helping to hasten the end of the Cold War.

Pope Francis, the first pontiff from Latin America, became a prominent voice on global issues from climate change to migration and economic inequality. He called for compassion toward refugees, warned against the dangers of nationalism, and urged action to protect the planet — stances that resonated well beyond church walls, and at times put him at odds with political leaders.

A name to signal a papal direction

The first sign of the new pope’s priorities will come in the name he chooses.

A Francis II might signal a new pope’s embrace of Francis’ legacy of prioritizing the poor and marginalized; a Pius would hint at a traditionalist restoration.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

When Royce Lewis first injured his hamstring running to first base in a spring training game in mid-March, the Twins’ third baseman didn’t think he’d be back at this point.

Not that his absence felt quick — anything but for Lewis, who has become all-too-familiar with rehab process in the early years of his major league career.

Lewis returned on Tuesday after missing the team’s first 35 games of the season. The hamstring strain was the latest in a long line of injuries for him and a frustrating outcome after all the work he had put in on his body in the offseason to avoid a similar fate.

“You need to be smart in general. Whenever I play the game, I’ve just got to play a little bit smarter,” Lewis said. “That’s what some of these other guys I’ve seen play the game at a high level do to be able to play 162. If I had (Royals star) Bobby Witt speed, I think I’d run a lot, but I’m not there anymore with all the injuries. So it’s just play smart whenever I get in the box.”

Lewis played some third base while on his rehab assignment with the Triple-A Saints but has been at designated hitter in each of his first two games back — he went 0 for 4 in his season debut on Tuesday — as the Twins ease him back in.

“I’m tired of being the guy that’s on the IL,” Lewis said. “I think it sucks. Seems like these injury bugs, they just stick on one guy for a while. Hopefully I got mine off.”

New addition

The Twins had a noticeable new addition in their clubhouse when they returned home from their seven-game road trip through Cleveland and Boston.

No, not a new player.

Just a new ping pong table that relievers Jhoan Duran and Jorge Alcala were happily taking advantage of on Wednesday a few hours before the game. On their last road trip, the Twins visited the Guardians, who have a brand new visitors clubhouse. In it, a ping pong table, which was a hit among Twins players.

This table came courtesy of starting pitcher Chris Paddack, who worked with the team’s clubhouse attendants to get the table into the Twins’ home clubhouse.

“Just something different in the clubhouse. I think this game drains us a lot. We’re human beings. We can have fun in life, too,” Paddack said. “Just trying to change the culture a little bit, bringing good vibes.”

As for the best ping pong player in the clubhouse, that’s yet to be determined. Paddack called himself “not outstanding” but “above average,” and said Edouard Julien, who was recently optioned to Triple-A, and shortstop Carlos Correa had a pretty good rally in Cleveland.

“Carlos, I feel like he’s just good at everything, so we were like, ‘No way he’s going to be good at ping pong,’ ” Paddack said. “Sure enough, he’s a freaking beast.”

Briefly

Bailey Ober will start Thursday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles, which will start at 12:10 p.m. He is replacing Joe Ryan, who was scheduled to start but is dealing with illness. Ober will be opposed by Dean Kremer.