The best way to trap a wild, rampaging meal is to snare it with a gigantic spaghetti lasso. Test your throwin' arm with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $35 worth of food and drink at Ciao Bella, located in La Mesa, just east of San Diego. This deal is valid for dine-in only, so enjoy the great indoors or sup outside on the pooch-friendly patio and give your dog the worldview that tearing apart the newspaper only hints at.

Ciao Bella serves up an extensive array of Italian cuisine sure to satisfy even the grumpiest of gastronomic gondoliers. Pasta dishes feature a spaghetti carbonara ($10.95) with sautéed bacon, egg, garlic, parmigiano cheese, and extra-virgin olive oil, and the ravioli campagnoli ($12.95), lightly dressed cheese ravioli pocketed with sautéed eggplant. Patrons looking to add flair to their diet while maintaining flatness of portions can opt for one of Ciao Bella's 10-inch individual pizzas, such as the venerable Margherita pizza ($10.95) or the pizza di mare ($13.95) topped with sautéed seafood.

Ciao Bella offers a lunch menu with limited pizza and pasta selections, as well as panini and other Italian sandwiches, for imbibers wishing to do their Italian-inhalations under the shroud of daylight. In addition to a wine menu granting the greatest in global grapery, Ciao Bella houses a full coffee bar with cappuccinos, lattes, and mochas, perfect for softball teams looking to celebrate a big win with shots of espresso and slices of tiramisu ($5.95).

Diners looking to pair their marinara-covered napkins with a pair of soft shoes are in luck—Ciao Bella offers dance lessons throughout the week for the price of a two-drink minimum. While swing dance and salsa pepper the mix, Ciao Bella's house specialty is tango. Tango Essence offers lessons in the official dance of love and proximity every Monday night. Or preserve your personal space on Wednesday nights and watch performances by steppers seasoned in the Argentine art.

Reviews

The San Diego Reader reviewed Ciao Bella:

• So we go for a Colombina salad up front. It has a luscious combo of spinach, walnuts, and pears, with a dollop of creamy Gorgonzola sauce, and a Ciao Bella dressing...When it comes, that Columbina’s so delicious I almost don’t feel the need for pizza. – Ed Bedford

Yelpers, TripAdvisors, and Yahoo! Locals give Ciao Bella four stars or owl eyes, and 73% of Urbanspooners like it:

• It was different in a good way. The food was very good, and while we ate there was a harp being played. That was really cool. Perfect service. We will definitely try this one again. – Richard, Urbanspoon
• The interior decor is Italian [sic], the music is compatible, and the service and food are very good. We live close, have eaten here for both lunch and dinner, and have enjoyed every visit. The lasagna, pasta nice, and antipasto are all excellent. The house chianti is very good. – parkinsd, TripAdvisor