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 today’s Groupon: for $25, you get $50 worth of creative starters, salads, pastas, and desserts at Della's After Dark. Redeem your Groupon any time Thursday through Saturday for dinner at the Brandon-based American bistro.

Della's After Dark is the Teen Wolf of eateries, morphing from a demure deli into a swanky spot for savories come sundown. Slurp a “seafood margarita” ($7), a combo of lime, mango, cilantro, shrimp, crab, and squid, or skate toasted french bread across an oozy caldron of baked goat-cheese marinara ($7). Fresh, colorful salads, including the grape tomato and boccocini ($8) drizzled with balsamic vinegar, pleasantly stretch stomach muscles in preparation for the main course. Della's menu also offers a variety of protein-based plates, from pan-Asian seared tofu ($14) to grilled swordfish bedded with sundried-tomato pesto and parmesan polenta ($18). Desserts change nightly; recent sweets include bananas foster and sticky date pudding.

Live jazz and creatively presented plates help morph the deli into a swanky hot spot. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, the counter is covered with black curtains, and tables are decked out with white linens and candles. Conceived as a small, family-run deli, owner Beverly DellaGrotta's son Alex took the reins in 2001 and envisioned the space as a sleek destination for fine dining or for being seen dining in fine-fitting tricornes. Check the website for details on music and specials.

Reviews

Five Yahoo! Locals give Della's After Dark five stars, and six TripAdvisors give it four owl eyes. Check out what the Tampa Tribune has to say:

• We liked the fresh catch, Ginger and Plantain Crusted Grouper, served with wasabi mashed potatoes atop julienned vegetables. – Tampa Tribune
• The food is exquisite and the service attentive and friendly. The atmosphere is relaxed and intimate. – Mike in Brandon, Yahoo! Local
• Della's After Dark is probably the best-kept secret in town. I've dined there twice, now...and the food, service, and ambience has been wonderful both times. – ocalagal13, Yahoo! Local
• If you like food that is eclectic and not the ordinary fare, this is a great place to go. – A TripAdvisor Member