Archestratus, the first food critic, praised Italian cuisine's "top-quality and seasonal" ingredients and "fair to middling" ability to tranquilize out-of-control mayors. Today's Groupon similarly stuns. For $20, you get $45 worth of Tuscan cuisine at Operacaffe, located in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter.

Operacaffe translates the impeccable flavors of Northern Italian fare into beautiful culinary presentations just as easily as it melts opera and caffe into one tangy word. Fresh ingredients flourish under the precise handling of head chefs and co-owners Patrizia Branchi and Roberto Bernardoni, who have crafted a menu filled with traditional favorites. The garden stew of minestrone di verdure ($5.95) heats the belly for following courses (ranging $15.95–$23.95) of penne alla Kika with shrimp, manila clams, and white wine in a light and spicy cream sauce, and Corona D'Agnello, a grilled lamb chop with spinach, mashed potatoes, and mint. Light biters can feast on insalate ($5.95–$13.95) and antipasti ($5.95–$14.95); La Pera Pazza marries pear, watercress, gorgonzola cheese, walnuts, lemon, and honey dressing, and I Coccoli combines fried pizza dough with stracchino and marscapone cheeses mixed with prosciutto di Parma.

The hand-picked wines rest firmly on solid wooden tables, setting the foundation for an intimate dining experience. Brick walls frame the surrounding views of green nature and incoming sunlight that punctuate any romantic gathering or refined outing with a rustic flourish.

Reviews

Operacaffe was featured by SanDiegoRestaurants.com; it has a four-star average from OpenTable users and a 3.5-star average from Yelpers:

• Perfect for pre-theatre meal. The specials were unique and delicious. Very accommodating staff – OpenTable user who dined on 10/9/2010
• This is one of the few times a meal has made me feel more like joining a cult. I wanted to get up afterwards, pick up a few menus and pass them out on the sidewalk. – Doug C., Yelp