Like a tongue on a flagpole in February, fusion cuisine results from curiosity and a shortage of popsicles. Rein in restless taste buds with today's Groupon to Nawlins. Choose from the following options:

• For $25, you get a meal for two, including one appetizer, two entrees, and two Hurricane cocktails (up to a $55 value).
• For $49, you get a meal for four, including one appetizer, four entrees, and four Hurricane cocktails (up to a $98 value).
• For $70, you get a meal for six, including one appetizer, six entrees, and six Hurricane cocktails (up to a $141 value).

A smooth synthesis of Louisianan flavors and hearty Italian influences, Nawlins’ soul-stirring menu of home-cooked Cajun and creole-Italian cuisine culls many of its robust flavors from fresh, organic ingredients harvested by locally sourced producers. Kick-start communal feasts over an appetizer such as a spread of creole calamari, crowned with crumbled goat cheese and fiery house-made marinara, or a dish of fried alligator, served with a piquant dipping sauce ladled from the Everglades’ subterranean spice pools. With palates primed, diners can peruse the entree menu’s traditional creole dishes, including whole shrimp slathered in a rich Worcestershire-wine-butter sauce. Those pining for seafood can order Nawlins' gumbo, a maritime mélange of crawfish, shrimp, crab, and veggies. Unsheathe steak knives when tackling 12–14 ounces of blackened rib eye, or use your hands to snatch one of the restaurant's po boy sandwiches, jam-packed with fried oysters, italian meatballs, and crab cake. Diners finish with Hurricane cocktails from Nawlins’ full-service bar, a fruity rum concoction ideal for toasting to an upcoming vacation to northern Quebec.