Hungry stomachs are forced to contemplate cooking their own food while our brains are busy plotting ways to make Hollywood starlets fall in love with our ungainly cousins. Quell an insurgent appetite with $50 worth of creative Mediterranean fare and drinks at Criallo's Restaurant & Bar for $20. The inventive eatery is located in Franklin at 1935 Mallory Lane. Reservations are required, so call ahead or write it into the restaurant's wall with a tommy gun while driving to your next bank heist.

Criallo's menu starts things off with a smattering of bold appetizers and tapas. Baked brie ($11) drizzled with raspberry lava sauce, indulgent lobster fondue ($10), oysters Rockefeller ($12), and crab cakes ($12) served in a shredded potato crust all serve to whet appetites and open conversational floodgates before generously proportioned entrees of sea flavors such as tilapia (stuffed with brie and lobster) ($22) and paella (chock full of chorizo, mussels, scallops, shrimp, and bits of lobster tail, $24). Other options include grilled lamb chops ($32), French roasted chicken ($26), and chorizo-stuffed pork loin ($24).

After feasting and sailing Criallo's wine-dark sea of a wine library, cap off the experience by thoughtfully forking through a creamy sliver of peanut-butter pie ($6) and comforting bread pudding ($6), or by sipping a post-prandial potion from the musically minded selection of specialty libations and martinis. "Message in a Bottle" tosses together sake infused with passion fruit tea, St. Germain, Three Olives berry vodka, fresh orange peels, and fresh strawberries before topping it with a sugared rim. For something a little more rough-and-tumble, test your taste buds against the house-infused pepper vodka, dry vermouth, and fresh jalapeno slices in a "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

The musical motif of the restaurant's beverages goes well with its casually upscale ambience of dark, rust-colored walls, sealed concrete floors, and track lighting—not to mention the soothing piano tunes from the live jazz band in the corner. Parties of five or more can combine two of today's Groupon, so invite your Party of Five fan club to meet at Criallo's Restaurant & Bar for tapas, tipples, and theorizing.

Reviews

Nashville Scene salivates over the upscale delicacies at Criallo's Restaurant & Bar:

• It was a very F. Scott's experience, in food, wine, atmosphere and music. – Nicki Wood

Citysearchers give it an impressive 4.5 stars, and six Google Mappers give four:

• If you're looking for an interesting menu (both larger and small plates) and a great wine list, I highly recommend this incredible establishment. It has the perfect blend of new trend, an old-school approach, and staff friendliness that you would expect from a top-notch restaurant. Never a dull evening at Criallos! – AESB, Citysearch
• Criallo's made me understand why people eat lobster. All of our entrees were divine. I cannot wait to eat there again, to invite friends, to share a truly magnificent meal. I cannot imagine better cuisine or service. – Jennifer, Google Maps