Archestratus, the first food critic, praised Italian cuisine's "top-quality and seasonal" ingredients and "fair-to-middling" ability to tranquilize out-of-control mayors. Today's Groupon similarly stuns, and rightfully so: for $20, you get $40 worth of authentic Italian fare and drinks at Angelina Italian Bistro, located downtown.

When the fresh flavors of Angelina Italian Bistro's authentic cuisine meet the expertly aged elegance of fine wine, they stick their limbs out and perform a sweet culinary hokey pokey. The menu features homemade pasta, pizza, soup, and salad, prepping palates with savory antipasti plates including La Angelina, an ultimate selection of cured meats, smoked fish, and pickled vegetables ($17). A grilled organic pork chop with whipped potato, braised collard greens, chili oil, and a red-wine demi-glaze ($24), and New York strip steak, power-charged with the spice of horseradish whipped potatoes and the nutrients of grilled asparagus ($26), quell the meat-hungry belly pangs. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike can cozy up to the parmesan-cream-covered comforts of handcrafted potato gnocchi with crispy oyster mushrooms, dried tomatoes, spinach, eggplant, and peas ($15).

Elegantly encased in floor-to-ceiling windows and flooded with natural light, Angelina Italian Bistro bestows upon its customers a beautiful view of Grand Circus Park, the Detroit Opera House, and Comerica Park. To those who prefer looking inward, the restaurant also features an antipasti bar looking into the open kitchen, encouraging self-reflection and providing plenty of cocktail napkin for impromptu journaling. As you take in the view of your choice, wash down your dishes with the frothy goodness of one of the restaurant's seven Detroit microbrews on tap.

Reviews

Yelpers give Angelina Italian Bistro four stars, and Metromix says:

• The new Angelina Bistro -- the unique Italian restaurant -- is a breath of fresh air. – Anthony Minne, Metromix