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: for $15, you get $30 worth of classic Italian cuisine at Aldino at the Vineyard. This Groupon is only valid for dine-in and cannot be used toward alcohol.

Memorize the menu before recalling an antipasti dish such as the involtini di melanzane (grilled eggplant, goat cheese, arugula, red bell pepper, and balsamic dressing, $7.55). Test out Aldino's brick oven with a tradizionale pizza (fontina and mozzarella cheeses with tomato sauce, $9.29), or snag a house specialty such as the pollo alla valdostana —prosciutto, spinach, and mozzarella stuffed inside a chicken breast and served delectably with Creole mustard and sherry cream sauce ($18.59). For an iconic meal, opt for a pasta dish such as the pasta bella donna, made with homemade whole-wheat angel hair, wild mushrooms, asparagus, roasted garlic and bell pepper, pine nuts, and parmesan ($13.49, top with grilled chicken breast for an additional $3.99 or shrimp for $8.50).

Aldino makes willing suspense of disbelief easy the nanosecond you walk through the doors; brains are transported to northern Italy via the scent of the wood-fired pizza oven and the villa architecture with hand-painted murals along the walls and hovering on the ceiling.

This deal is not valid on holidays or for the prix fixe menu or other offers.

Reviews

Gayot reviewed Aldino at the Vineyard. Seventy-one percent of nearly 100 Urbanspooners recommend the restaurant, four Citysearchers award it an average of five stars, and six TripAdvisors give it an average of 3.5 owl eyes:

• The food at Aldino is absolutely great. They are consistent with the quality of their dishes, and I have always left satisfied. – JF78240, Urbanspoon
• The staff is very nice and courteous, couldn't have asked for anything better… – ironlionzion85, Citysearch