If eating in a Parisian cafe seems a faraway dream, try Mocha Café. The dimly lit dining room and European menu—a mix of French, English and Italian—make for a night of amore, without the jet lag or cost of a plane ticket.

There's no shortage of wine here: Over 90 kinds of wine come by the glass, half-bottle or bottle, with prices ranging from a reasonable $22 Chilean Carmen Carmenere to a $174 Far Niente Cabernet. Divided into two sections, the dining room accommodates larger parties in the oversize crescent-shaped booths and couples at its white linen-clad tables. A piano and microphone resides on a platform in the back corner, where karaoke, open mic sessions and blues bands take the stage six nights a week.

Paintings of the London Bridge, Eiffel Tower and Coliseum hung on the beige walls reflect the three European cities represented on the menu. Start with the cheese platter for two (brie, Port Salut, havarti and boursin) or the Godfather panini, with grilled eggplant, basil marinara, buffalo mozzarella and kalamata olives on focaccia herb bread. Entrees include a Provencal-style beef wellington (glazed in port with mushroom caps, caramelized onions and spinach in a puff pastry), the pesto shrimp alfredo or the focaccia-encrusted snapper, a filet dusted with focaccia resting on a bed of Moroccan couscous and pomegranate. The mile-high carrot cake or the Hershey's chocolate cobbler, a dark chocolate filled cobbler topped with vanilla bean gelato brings a sweet ending to your European escape. Entrees cost $9.95-$17.95.

Average cost: $10-$20

Centerstage Reviewer: Eve Ardell