Contrary to popular belief, when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's a lawsuit. Enjoy Italian cuisine without fear of physical reprisal with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of authentic Italian fare at Aiello's.

The family-owned and family-operated Central Avenue eatery was founded by CIA-trained chef Joe Aiello. His lunch menu of paninis, heroes, and pastas helps to satisfy midday meatball-hero cravings ($12), and the dinner menu serves up a satisfyingly complete selection of Southern Italian eats. Start with an order of the mozzarella carozza ($7), a house-made cheese sandwiched between sheets of semolina and bathed in eggs before being sautéed in a rich sauce of capers, anchovies, lemon, and wine, or go for an order of the crisp fried calamari ($10) before moving on to the dinner's dramatic second act. Oceanographers will want to dive in and explore the Aiello-family-favorite cavatelli with Sunday gravy ($14), a rich pasta dish topped with sweet sausage and Joe's famous meatball, while pasta protestors pore over their selection of specially prepared proteins, such as the tender veal picatta ($19) or the portobello-mushroom-topped filet mignon ($25).

The expansive eatery boasts a breezy and elegant atmosphere that transports diners to Italian lands without the inherent risks of teleporting (disappearing, emerging with fly parts, etc.). The mood is further enhanced with white-table-clothed tables, high ceilings, and a granite-topped bar. The outdoor patio provides an idyllic setting to linger over a bottle of one of their more than 35 Italian wines while pondering the correct pronunciation of Respighi or flirtatiously fighting for the last bite of custardy strawberries smothered in zabaglione ($7). Your Groupon is also good for the "backdoor" pizzeria, Aiello's makes only 50 per night to go and out the back door. Call ahead for pizza details.

Not valid on holidays.

Reviews

The Phoenix New Times featured a positive review of Aiello's. Yelpers give the restaurant a four-star average, and 82% of nearly 200 Urbanspooners recommend it.

• The soft orbs of potato pasta practically dissolved in my mouth, and the sauce was equally ethereal, with fragrant pesto incorporated into velvety cream. – Michele Laudig, Phoenix New Times
• Substantial servings, true Italian home cooking. Definitely on our list for a return visit. Highly recommend the Penne Bolognese.. – JJ, Urbanspoon