Pioneering Italians were not only the first to put tomatoes in cuisine, they were also the first people to take photographs of themselves pretending to hold up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Delight in their inventiveness with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of authentic Italian fare and drinks at Luigi's Restaurant, located on Main Street in Huntington Beach.

Luigi's Restaurant fork-twirls an enticing menu of gourmet Italian cuisine, placating gondola-shaking belly rumbles with deliciously heaping portions. Appraise appetizing architecture with a towering stack of lasagna ($13.95) and a tightly furled spread of sweet or savory crêpes ($7.95–$13.95). Mouths can be converted into culinary aquariums with zesty seafood-stuffed dishes like lobster ravioli ($16.95) and calamari luciana, angel-hair pasta tossed with calamari, olives, and capers ($13.95). Alternately, moo in a Sicilian dialect for the veal medallions of vitello piccata, sautéed in a lemon-butter sauce, served with vegetables or pasta ($19.95).

Luigi's Restaurant embraces diners in its festive yet luxurious décor, which features elegantly curved seating flanked by walls adorned with strings of plump peppers and garlic cloves. Flourishing emerald foliage looms above the outdoor patio, where romantic daredevils can challenge the moon to intense eye-hitting contests.