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Dine on expertly prepared favorites from Europe's boot-shapiest region. Today’s deal gets you $35 worth of classic Italian goodness and drinks for $15 at Giovanni’s Italian Restaurant at the Clairemont Mesa and Balboa locations.

The chefs at Giovanni's begin each day staring down a hot pizza oven, with a table full of ripe tomatoes and ready-to-chop garlic at their fingertips. Using only the finest, freshest, handsomest ingredients, they construct old-school Italian dishes from scratch. Serving pies for decades, Giovanni’s brings the benefits of experience, familial wisdom, and intimate tomato knowledge to every dish.

Menus at both locations feature pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and salads. Share some classic comfort food with the meat or spinach lasagna ($11.95) or the delectable cannelloni ($11.95), stuffed with chunks of chicken, mushrooms, and cheese. For more classic pasta, try the linguine with red or white clam sauce ($13.95) or the baked ravioli ($9.95) with meat or cheese, topped with Giovanni’s house sauce and romano. Specialties include the chicken parmigiana ($15.95) and veal or chicken marsala ($15.95). If you like your meal protected by a bread shell, try the torpedo sandwich with mortadella, salami, ham, provolone, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, and Italian dressing ($7.95 for 12"). Lighter fare includes house, Caesar, or Greek salads ($4.95 small, $6.95–$9.45 large), chicken Cobb salad ($10.45), or appetizers at Clairemont Mesa such as the crispy calamari ($7.45) or Mediterranean bruschetta ($7.95).

An Italian restaurant worthy of wielding the tomato needs at least a couple pizza ovens full of hot, crispy pies. Giovanni’s covers the disc-shaped aspects of Italian cuisine deliciously, with cheese pizzas measuring in at 9 ($7.95), 12 ($10.95), 14 ($13.95), or 20 inches ($19.25). Extra toppings cost extra, and specialty pies taste special, with options such as the Mexican, vegetarian works, Thai chicken, or Giovanni’s special (pepperoni, bacon, and sausage).

Reviews

Insider Pages users give Giovanni’s Balboa location four stars, while the Clairemont Mesa branch earns 3.5 stars on Yelp.

• Good Italian food. Room for big parties with varied tastes. Great pizza with lots of choices. Clean and a great staff when we were there. Lots of help in answering questions pertaining to the menu and ready with refills on drinks. – Sandy W., Insider Pages
• They have fresh Italian food. Their pastas are wonderful and entrees are flavorful and of the highest quality. The restaurant is nicely decorated. The dining experience is wonderful.…Their food is delicious and fresh, and service is attentive. – Lisa S., Insider Pages
• I’ve ordered pizzas from Giovanni’s for work events for the past 2 years and they are always a hit. Good size, plenty of toppings, good crust. My favorite is the Roasted Garlic Chicken…it’s awesome and people devour it!!! – Shari T., Yelp