Like attaching a fake mustache to a Halloween mask or cleverly changing your name from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Ben Kenobi, adding a new ingredient to something familiar can render it delightfully unrecognizable. Enjoy inventive eats with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of contemporary Mediterranean-inspired fare at Avanti Bar and Grill.

At Avanti Bar and Grill, executive chef Ahmad Alikhani and his posse of culinary curators whip up Mediterranean-influenced dishes for delectation atop candlelit tables or the alfresco terrace. The dinner menu spotlights meaty entrees including seared duck breast sauced with espresso, quince, and fig chutney ($26) and braised lamb shank, which hoards caches of caramelized pearl onions ($22) to sell to unsuspecting jewelers. Sandwiches on the lunch menu, such as salmon enveloped in flat bread alongside olive tapenade and bacon ($9), quiet midday rumbles with quick eats, and elaborate Sunday-brunch omelets ($9) perk up uvulas about to nod off from boredom. Within the restaurant, rich paintings and warm tones encase sleek black seats, and a circular copper bar rings out a warning gong every time a patron tells a cheesy joke.