The sudden onset of hunger pains is the leading cause of unfinished novels, canceled duels, and tied soccer matches. Today's deal employs delicious Italian cuisine to cut down on unfinished business: for $20, you get $40 worth of Italian cuisine at Café Gia Ristorante, located on South High Street in Little Italy.

Recently owned by a mother-daughter team, this inviting eatery cocoons patrons' outers with lively Sicilian murals while swaddling their inners with authentic Italian fare. Dinner diners dig delights such as the eggplant parmigianna, its tasty titular ingredients layered along with marinara, mozzarella, and linguine, giving it the personality potency of a multifaceted opera warbler ($15.95). Flavorful meat, vegetarian, and fresh seafood dishes abound, as well as wine, beer, specialty drinks, and frothy coffee beverages flown in directly from Sicilian java dairies.

Reviews

The Baltimore City Paper named Café Gia Best Italian Restaurant for 2009. The Baltimore City Paper, the Baltimore Sun, and Baltimore Gay Life have reviewed the restaurant. Zagat rated the food and décor as very good to excellent. TripAdvisors give it an average of 3.5 owl eyes.

• Gia's isn't fancy or formal, and it's not expensive (you can bring your own bottle). And with its bright murals and chummy, closely spaced tables, it doesn't look anything like any other Little Italy restaurant, which is part of why we like it so much. – Baltimore City Paper
• Cafe Gia is at the top of my favorites list for Baltimore. It is unpretentious, warm and charming. – JeffreysChoice, Zagat