Though useful for intimidating territorial dogs and angry alarm clocks, growling guts tend to anger audiences at weddings and intense chess matches. Silence your stomach with today's Groupon: for $12, you get $25 worth of bistro fare at HG Bistro in Puyallup.

HG Bistro's diverse menu fills vacant bellies with hearty steaks, seafood, and pastas. Afternoon appetites can choose from a plethora of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, and pasta delights such as the clams casino campanelle, a half-pound of manila clams and campanelle pasta swimming in herb-butter white clam sauce with spinach, tomato, and panko crumbs sunbathing on top ($13). Start dinner off with baked brie wrapped in the arms of a puff pastry, forever united by gooey local honey and topped with toasted almonds ($7). Move on to filet mignon medallions with mashed russets and grilled zucchini ($21), or chicken stuffed with feta, sun-dried tomato, artichoke, and spinach ($19). Saturday and Sunday lubricate midday noshers with HG mimosas ($5) or Bloody Marys ($6), while holding their rapt gaze with a special brunch menu of hearty eats.

On weekend evenings, live music fills the bistro lounge and serves as a soundtrack to family dinners, first dates, and romantic subpoena servings. An expanded wine list includes whites and reds by the glass ($6–$11) and bottles from a selection that includes cabernets, merlots, and zinfandels. Like the recitation of one's memoirs after numerous signature drinks, reservations are highly recommended Friday and Saturday nights.

Reviews

The News Tribune featured HG Bistro, referred to by locals as "The Goose," 29 Yelpers and five Insider Pagers give HG Bistro a four-star average, and 86% of Urbanspooners like it:

• Seafood, steak, creative presentation and live music on weekends has once again made the Goose the place to be in Puyallup. – Craig Hill, The News Tribune
• Consistently excellent every time we go. The atmosphere is great, and when they have live music it is a great show. – Alex A., Yelp, 10/2/10