Contrary to popular belief, when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a lawsuit. Enjoy Italian cuisine without fear of physical reprisal with today's Groupon. For $20, you get $40 worth of fine pastas, mussels, and more at Cariera's Cucina Italiana in Dearborn Heights.

Like chili popsicles and videos of grizzly-bear ballerinas, Italian food is enjoyed around the world due to its versatility and heartiness. The menus at Cariera's are drawn from globally pleasing Italian recipes, and the pastas are homemade. Begin a meal in traditional fashion with an antipasto of steamed mussels ($10.25), calamari Cariera (the family recipe—sautéed squid in lemon butter sauce with tomatoes, onion, and capers, $11.25), or bruschetta ($5.25, add mozzarella, $7.25) and a glass of Chianti Classico Reserva ($10). Settling the debate over whether or not to order pasta, all entrees at Cariera's that aren't made with pasta come with a side of pasta, so you can order your lasagna ($13.25), bistecca di lombo di vitello (chargrilled veal chop with cherry-balsamic reduction, $22), or pollo frangelico (almond-encrusted chicken breasts with Frangelico cream sauce, $15.25) with confidence. A glass of grappa is a fitting dessert as the sun sets on Cariera's breezy outdoor patio ($6).

While the unbrella-bespecked patio is caressed by Michigan breezes, rich woods, terra cotta walls, and decorative iron mosaic tiles in Cariera's dining room surround diners with Old World charm complemented by a generous, bow-tied waitstaff. Take a casual date and share a pasta dish (a plate-splitting fee of $1.50 applies), or go black tie with friends and have a formal meatball-eating contest.

Reviews

Metro Times calls Cariera's "a most pleasant neighborhood Italian restaurant", and diners agree. Six Active Diners give it 4.5 stars:

• I was especially taken with the zesty, expertly prepared grilled sausage and peppers, as well as the generous helping of shrimp, pleasingly al dente, accompanied by a sweet mélange of peppers, mushrooms and onions in a white-wine tomato sauce. – Mel Small, Metro Times
• This is my favorite Italian Restaurant in the Metro Detroit area. The cost of the food is not excessive , the Cariera Calimari…is to die for, the desert tray has plenty of fresh choices, and they frequently have live dinner music. – midas, Active Diner