Before-dinner drinks give tablemates a chance to discuss the important mechanics of the upcoming meal, such as if a pocket-sized Rube Goldberg machine is the best way to share a steak. Give yourself plenty of time to prepare for complicated eatings with today’s Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of upscale fare and drinks at Garrett’s Restaurant Bar.

Synthesizing favorite American pastimes and biological necessities such as eating, drinking, and taking in live jazz music, Garrett’s boasts a large fare menu as well as an expansive selection of wine, beer, and spirits. Diners can savor starters such as dynamite shrimp ($8.99), or save them to blast their way into the car later in case they lose their keys. Entrees include the fresh veggie-jammed jambalaya ($16.99) and the grilled lemon-basil chicken breast ($16.99), whose subtle spices are equally effective at taming tongues and agitating eyeballs. Many draft beers are served in brewer-created glassware so that hops-chasers don’t have to sip from suds-dispensing helmets, and a few glasses of Mexican red Valmar Tempranillo ($10/glass; $39/bottle) work great for loosening up mouth muscles before meaty main events.