Although Italians originally invented pasta as a fastener to keep Sicily from floating away, they abandoned it for less delicious moorings after locals on both sides kept snacking their way toward separation. Tether your taste buds to today's Groupon to Rocco’s Ristorante Italiano, located in the Quality Inn Mic Mac hotel in Dartmouth. Choose between two dining options:
• For $25, you get $50 worth of dinner and drinks.
• For $59, you get a tableside dinner for two (a $144 value).
Rocco’s Ristorante Italiano serves up gourmet Southern Italian cuisine with a touch of local flair and a caress of European influence. Original owner Rocco Scarola opened his house of penne and prosciutto after moving to Canada from Italy, and his marinara-doused menu boasts pastas such as the linguine alla pescatore, interlacing a medley of shrimp, scallops, and calamari ($21). The veal or beef fillet distracts steak knives from bullying defenseless soup spoons ($32), and the chicken cordon bleu dons a garland of black-forest ham and swiss cheese ($18). Those who opt for the tableside dinner enjoy a culinary show bested only by the now-banned practice of tomato juggling. Talented chefs festoon tables with plates custom crafted to suit every diner's palate, including the perennial favourite, Rocco's signature caesar salad. The entree selections change weekly but consistently pack a proteinaceous punch of seafood, pasta, veal, and chicken, complemented by a bottle of wine and two mugs of specialty coffee.
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