Unlike cinematic love scenes, food can be enjoyed in the company of parents without embarrassment. Dodge future moments of uneasiness with today's Groupon: for $25, you get $50 worth of upscale American fare and drinks at Nicholas James Bistro in Merrick.

The Zagat-rated Nicholas James Bistro adorns its menu with imaginative culinary creations inspired by seasonal ingredients. Start by crunching into the almond-crusted crab-and-lobster cake with papaya slaw and chipotle rémoulade ($12) before replacing boring tongue-flavored vitamins with the nutritive punch of a green plate such as the pear-and-endive salad with crumbled goat cheese, candied pistachios, dried cranberries, and sherry dressing ($10). In the Rigatoni Bourbon Street, chorizo, shrimp, crawfish, vegetables, and brandy Cajun cream sauce ($26) lets a New Orleans jazz band of scatting savories jive in your stomach, and organic cuisine such as whole-wheat penne with shrimp, olives, capers, pomodoro sauce, and shaved romano ($25) keeps cybernetic noodle strands from infiltrating your rebel pasta base.

Each dish can be matched with Nicholas James Bistro's aromatic cascade of wines. The bistro’s modern yet cozy two-level dining room hosts a soothing roster of live musicians who welcome the accompaniment of diners’ greedy forks and clinking glasses.

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