Pioneering Italians were not only the first to put tomatoes in cuisine, they were also the first people to take photographs of themselves pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Delight in their inventiveness with today's Groupon: for $12, you get $25 worth of Italian cuisine at Café Allegro in Tigard.

The culinary composers at Café Allegro serve up a symphony of gourmet Italian dishes for both lunch and dinner. Paninis and hot sandwiches for lunch partner with a salad of tossed greens ($10), and mozzarella, provolone, cheddar, and parmesan sing a cappella barbershop harmonies upon the hearth-baked four-cheese pizza ($7–$19). Tantalize taste buds with the prosciutto carbonara, which comes sautéed in olive oil and garlic with a parmesan-and-egg cream sauce over penne pasta ($10 for lunch, $13 for dinner). Those looking to replace noodle nests with greens can feast on the sautéed chicken breast with roasted veggies served on a leafy Sleep Number bed of fresh spinach ($8 for lunch, $11 for dinner). Dinner entrees include the seared sea scallops ($16) and breaded chicken parmesan ($15), both accompanied by potato, risotto, or buttered spaghetti woven into friendship bracelets.

Café Allegro's intimate bistro atmosphere makes it a fitting choice for date nights, catching up with friends, or championship staring contests.