Spaghetti, like a hammerhead shark, is rigid and boring until it’s submerged in water, at which point it quickly springs to life and develops a taste for swimmers. Celebrate this predatory noodle with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of authentic Italian cuisine and drinks at Cesare at the Beach in Clearwater Beach.

Cesare at the Beach's founder Cesare Tini grew up in Rimini, Italy amid a famiglia of restaurateurs and bases his menu of authentic, homemade pastas and anti-pastas on recipes brought directly from Northern Italy. Appetizers such as bruschetta, topped with fresh tomato and mozzarella ($7), or a plate of lumache—succulent escargot baked on top of crimini mushrooms with garlic-and-parsley butter sauce ($14)—kick off your evening's edible Fellini film with a flavorful dream sequence before introducing complexities in Act II with a variety of enticing entrees such as classic fettuccine alfredo ($18) and veal marsala ($25). An eclectic fish menu, meanwhile, simmers salmon in scampi sauce ($23), and grills swordfish ($24). The dessert menu's sugary fantasies finish the feast with a surprise that, for once, isn't "You've been dead the whole time." Cesare at the Beach's outdoor patio lets al fresco enthusiasts keep an eye out for roving gangs of marching bands without leaving the shade of their umbrella.

Reviews

TripAdvisors give Cesare at the Beach an average of 3.5 owl eyes and 83% of 72 Urbanspooners like it:

• Inside the decor is simple yet elegant. Spotlessly clean and formal. The service was impeccable!!! The food was VERY GOOD! – 4video, TripAdvisor
• This is a fabulous restaurant with superb homemade Italian food and knowledgeable, attentive servers. We have eaten there many times and are always impressed. – Myra, Urbanspoon