When Aeneas left Greece to help found Rome he chose to cross the Mediterranean Sea due to its bounty of delicious seafood, and also because alternate routes were blocked by clusters of sunbathing mermaids. Point compasses toward tasty Mediterranean fare with today's Groupon: for $38, you get a fixed-price Mediterranean dinner and evening entertainment for two on Friday night (a $76 value) at The Gate to the Mediterranean in Encino.

On Friday nights The Gate's chefs serve up hot and cold Mediterranean dishes from the restaurant's entertainment menu as international performers take the stage from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Guests can absorb warm falafel orbs, dip into pools of cool hummus, and snack on any of 11 appetizers before spearing their hunger on a chicken-breast kebab, beef-lula kebab, and fillet shish kebab. An ever-changing cast of international performers provide evening entertainment, a live band treats ravenous cochleae to a lavish sound banquet, and guest DJs and dancers cajole feet into spontaneous acts of rhythmic walking. Peruse The Gate' s weekend-entertainment lineup for details on upcoming performances.

Thick, ornate beams crisscross under the high, angled ceiling inside The Gate to the Mediterranean, where yellow chandeliers illuminate exposed-brick walls. The eatery also features a full bar where conversationalists compete in action-packed word-offs and a trip to the hookah lounge provides cozy seating and a variety of flavors to idly puff.

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