Eating out can be a way to celebrate triumphs, run into lost loves, and avoid the clean-up hazard of fearsome dishwasher wasp hives. Get caught up in a swarm of tastiness with today’s Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of upscale American cuisine at Side Street Café in Florence.

Side Street Café brings the world of upscale American dining to the neighborhood level. Local ingredients are given diction lessons and gussied up into high society cuisine under the watchful eye of owner, chef, and pasta linguist Patrick Shannon. Diners may choose to shepherd home wayward taste buds with the baked goat cheese and honey ($9) or sample undersea edibles with the pan-seared scallops ($10). Hungrier humans can make a break for one of Side Street Café’s signature entrees; the fresh herb gnocchi ($19 full, $14 for lighter fare) gets cozy with balsamic roasted shallots under blankets of mozzarella and marinara, while the lager-braised short ribs ($25/$18) raise a toast to good taste with horseradish mashed potatoes and parmesan bread.

Area bards and minstrels hone their craft with live music on Mondays and Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Reviews

Six Yelpers give Side Street Café an average of 4.5 stars. > * the food here is sophisticated, and not too expensive… everything i’ve ever gotten here has been far above average. – Lucy S., Yelp > * The food here is absolutely tasty! The Grilled Caesar Salad is a fav as are most of the soups- or anytime they have seared scallops! – Claire r., Yelp