Drop in on your friendly neighborhood Italian restaurant.
When visiting the dinner-only Butcher Block, here are three dishes to keep in mind: the pork-ricotta meatballs, doused in a robust red sauce; the ravioli filled with duck confit and ricotta, and the slow-braised, fall-off-the-bone beef short ribs. There also are some decent values on the mostly Italian wine list.
- 308 E. Hennepin Av., Mpls., 612-455-1080, www.thebutcherblockrestaurant.com
Simple scratch cooking and a charming storefront setting set Carmelo's apart from the crowd. Best at lunch is the prosciutto- and basil-filled ravioli, while dinner's entree selections feature chicken five ways (the kitchen's signature dish is baked chicken topped with crab and served over angel hair pasta), veal piccata and a strip steak stuffed with roasted garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Early bird diners (5 to 7 p.m.) enjoy half-price wines Monday through Thursday.
- 238 S. Snelling Av., St. Paul, 651-699-2448, www.carmelos.com
At Risotto, the namesake dish at chef/owner Gabriele Lo Pinto's Lyn-Lake restaurant deserves top billing (get the version prepared with asparagus, peas and fava beans), but the menu also features a half-dozen pastas, a few grilled meats and fish and a handful of starters, including a fragrant saffron-seasoned seafood stew. Drop in at lunch and choose from a half-dozen panini.
- 610 W Lake St., Mpls., 612-823-4338, www.risottomn.com
Singing, ceremonies and straw hats: Olympics opening ceremony in Tahiti centers Polynesian culture
![Viva Froeming, left, touched the face of friend Virginia Goering as her twin sister Vera Sims looks on. The three ladies, all 101 years old, have been](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/ZRFTXJFYUVHBTFGD4UNQNYTEGI.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Three 101-year-old friends recall fond memories in 1940s Alexandria
Celine Dion makes musical comeback at Paris Olympics with Eiffel Tower serenade
![Former Gophers diver Sarah Bacon, right, will compete with Kassidy Cook in the women's 3-meter synchronized springboard competition at the Paris Olymp](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/N37HMV3KY5CYPB4SIMTKQVIH7M.jpg?h=91&w=145&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)