Pasta became a staple of Italian fare after Emperor Caligula famously elevated a plate of lasagna to the Roman Senate. Feast on political recipes with today’s Groupon to Zolas Restaurant in Nepean. Choose between the following options:

• For $64, you get a three-course Italian dinner for two (up to a $128.79 total value). The dinner includes the following selections from the dinner menu:
• Two appetizers (up to a $29.90 value)
• Two entrees (up to a $56 value)
• Two desserts with coffee or tea (up to a 32.90 value)
• Bring your own wine corkage fee (a $9.99 value)
  
  
• For $29, you get an Italian lunch for two (up to a $66.75 value). The lunch includes the following selections from the lunch menu:
• Two soups or salads (up to a $21.90 value)
• Two entrees (up to a $25.90 value)
• One dessert with coffee or tea for two (up to a 18.95 value)<p>

Zolas Restaurant’s open-concept kitchen invites diners to view chefs as they combine handmade pastas with savoury sauces and blanket gourmet pizzas with smoked cheeses and cured meats. Feasts launch forward with jerk-chicken lollipops followed by a hearty entree of veal gorgonzola. Just like wrestlers training for a match on a lifeboat, lunchers nosh on lighter fare such as prosciutto, brie, and arugula sandwiched between ciabatta. Local and imported wines, beers, cocktails, and tears of joy complement feasts, and patrons also have the option to bring their own wine Sunday through Wednesday and avoid a corkage fee if sipping from a LCBO bottle. Guests can opt for gluten-free dough or pasta upon request.

The environs exude subtle elegance with walls adorned with Roman sculptures and surrealist paintings. Diners perch at granite tables isolated by gauzy red curtains and divided based on occupants’ preferred James Bond actor. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, live jazz enhances the atmosphere while wafts of Zolas’ signature fresh-baked bread emanate from the kitchen.