Fish are an elusive prey, fleeing into reefs to evade anglers and spontaneously sprouting legs to run away from Charles Darwin. Track down slippery targets with today's Groupon to Dana Wharf Sportfishing in Dana Point. Choose between the following options:

• For $25, you get a half-day fishing excursion (a $51.50 total value). The excursion includes:

  • A five-hour fishing trip departing at 10 a.m. (a $44 value)
  • A $7.50 voucher for hot sandwiches and snacks on the boat

• For $33, you get a three-quarter-day fishing excursion (a $66.50 total value). The excursion includes:

  • A nine-hour fishing trip departing at 7 a.m. (a $59 value)
  • A $7.50 voucher for hot sandwiches and snacks on the boat
    
    

Dana Wharf Sportfishing's expert crew and skippers glide their watercrafts across the open seas so visitors can soak up sunshine and beautiful coastal views. Schooners take to the briny deep in search of seasonal catches such as halibut, yellowtail, and barracuda migrating south to avoid tax season. Expert captains steer crafts through frothy spumes to the fishiest spots, where guests can cast lines in hopes of ensnaring tuna or white sea bass. Though equipment is not included in this deal, guests can rent a rod, reel, and tackle for $12, forgoing the less effective method of perfecting tuna mating calls.

While tour-goers survey the seascape for natural wildlife, they can treat their eyes to breathtaking views of the scenic Orange County coastline and the beautiful Pacific Ocean. Voyagers can bring their own food and nonalcoholic drinks to stave off hunger before venturing into the boat's full-service galley for a hot meal or diving overboard for a mouthful of seaweed. All guests must come equipped with a one-day fishing license that can be acquired at Dana Wharf Sportfishing or purchased ahead of time online ($14.04).

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The Groupon Guide to: Office Icebreakers

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Most children won't eat a vegetable unless it is fried, just like they won't walk a dog that isn't wearing a bow tie. Pick your battles with today's Groupon to Potato Corner in Arcadia. Choose between the following options:

• For $5, you get $10 worth of fries, chips, and drinks, valid for one visit.
• For $15, you get $30 worth of fries, chips, and drinks, valid over multiple visits.
  
  

Potato Corner’s counters and kiosks host a made-to-order menu containing two shapes of fries, chips, and baked potatoes, each flavored with distinct spice blends and cooked in vegetable oil. Three sizes of original ($2.99–$5.99) or loopy fries ($3.29–$6.49) burst from containers designed for easy carrying when walking or lassoing Potato Corner’s mascot, Spudster. Succulent sweet-potato fries ($3.99–$6.99), cut into crisscross patterns, sneak plenty of vitamins A, B, and C into diets, and freshly sliced potato chips ($2.99–$5.99) elevate the oft-bagged American favorite. Upon request, staffers dress treats in one of four specially blended flavors, sprinkling barbecue, sour-cream-and-onion, cheddar, and chili-barbecue spices from shakers lined with cheery bells. Alternatively, munch on a heartier repast by requesting chili cheese ladled atop a baked potato ($4.69), and soothe parched throats with gulps of fresh-squeezed lemonade ($2.29–$2.99). Potato Corner’s spud slinging began in the Philippines two decades ago, and found its way to California in 2010 when a devoted fan drew a trail across the Pacific with ketchup.

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The Groupon Guide to: Office Icebreakers

Is lack of self-confidence contagious?

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Cooking miraculously transforms mundane ingredients into delicious cuisine, rendering chickpeas into hummus and a forest tableau into a turducken. Explore these wonders with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $30 worth of Middle Eastern fare, plus 20% off future catering services, at The Hummus Bar & Grill in Tarzana.

The Hummus Bar & Grill treats diners to large portions of savory Middle Eastern fare, complemented by freshly tossed salads and hot pitas baked in house. Guests can begin gastronomic excursions by dipping laffa flatbread, pickles, and doomed G.I. Joes into the house hummus with tahini and olive oil ($6.99). For entrees, grilled skewers range from lamb ($14.99 for one; $22.99 for two) to beef sweetbreads ($11.99 for one; $15.99 for two), and the vegetarian selection includes a grilled portobello mushroom marinated in olive oil, garlic, and soy sauce ($12.99). Sweet spoonfuls of chocolate mousse ($6.99) accompany mealtime debates about who has the biggest houseboat, and every delectable morsel can be washed down with sips of hot turkish coffee ($2), a glass of wine ($6+), or a draft beer ($5–$6) from the bar.

This Groupon includes a 20% discount on The Hummus's catering services, which can be used to stuff a cornucopia or small studio apartment with Middle Eastern fare at events for up to 250 people. Customers may choose from an advance delivery of prepared food, live servers overseeing walk-up food tables, or full onsite catering with a team of seasoned grillers dispensing steamy morsels via miniature trebuchets.

Our customers loved this deal last year, earning The Hummus Bar & Grill a spot on Groupon’s Best of 2011 list.

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The Groupon Guide to: Office Icebreakers

Is lack of self-confidence contagious?

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Dinner theater reveals the theatrical nature of dining, wherein forks clash over appetizers and simple questions prompt waiters to deliver soliloquies on the nature of choice. Eat a dramatic dinner with today's Groupon: for $60, you get two tickets to For the Record and $50 worth of upscale fare at Barre Vermont and Vermont Restaurant (a $120 total value). Performances are on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Barre Vermont and Vermont Restaurant orchestrates a festive fusion of fine dining and live performance that celebrates the soundtracks of directors such as Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) and Baz Luhrmann, (Moulin Rouge!, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet). Touting a cast of seasoned Broadway and Hollywood performers, For The Record: Baz Luhrmann surrounds spectators with dazzling renditions of songs such as "When Doves Cry," "Time After Time," "Roxanne," and "Children of the Revolution, while For the Record: Quentin Tarantino charts the idiosyncratic filmmaker's soundtracks from his debut up through 2009's Inglorious Basterds.

The audience's thunderous applause cools off steaming dishes from two restaurants on the premises. Show at Barre's menu of upscale fare includes brick-oven flatbread pizzas ($14) and the Fork burger layered with root-beer barbecue sauce ($15). Pre- or post-performance, Vermont Restaurant's kitchen staff sates appetites with a menu that pairs goat cheese and truffle ravioli ($18) with signature tonics such as the Kir Vermont with champagne, St. Germain, and mint cultivated through exposure to Baz Luhrmann soundtracks ($11). Previous performances, which may be revived, have included homages to John Hughes and the Coen Brothers.

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Without playtime, kids unleash their pent-up energy by pulling boxes off supermarket shelves, shouting as loud as they can, and crafting conspiracies with the dog. Prevent childish plots with today's Groupon to Caterpillar Kids Place in La Cañada Flintridge. Choose between the following options:

• For $12, you get two indoor-playground passes (up to a $24 value).
• For $25, you get five indoor-playground passes (up to a $60 value).

At Caterpillar Kids Place, little ones tumble and explore with arts and crafts, music, and other children in an eco-friendly playground. Wee ones scoot around the play area on riding toys, soon reaching a bounce house where they safely jump skyward. Building blocks improve spatial awareness and expressive prowess, an array of costumes fosters method acting for King Lear –themed make-believe sessions, and puppets and instruments inspire impromptu plays. While tykes go nuts, parents relax in Caterpillar Kids Place's onsite lounge with complimentary coffee, WiFi access, and an audiobook archive of Cosmopolitan quizzes. Caterpillar Kids Place is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday–Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays.

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The Groupon Guide to Everyman’s Classics: Animal Farm

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Like an insomniac watching cable, fat will sometimes stick around even when it seems like all that's going on is weightlifting. Get rid of the bulk you can't burn with today's Groupon to Cosmetic Surgery Glendale in Glendale. Choose between the following options:

• For $800, you get one liposuction treatment on one small area (up to a $4,200 value). Small areas include the upper abdomen, lower abdomen, or chin.
• For $1,500, you get one liposuction treatment on one large area (up to a $6,500 value). Large areas include the thighs, arms, hips, or love handles.

Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Vatche Bardakjian of Cosmetic Surgery Glendale whittles away unwanted fat by performing outpatient liposuction procedures. The slenderizing journey begins with a consultation, during which Dr. Bardakjian and the client discuss the steps of the procedure and realistic results. On the day of surgery, patients undergo a local or general anesthetic to numb the targeted area and allow pet falcons to jig on it for good luck. Dr. Bardakjian then creates a small incision in the skin before suctioning out excessive fat cells to contour the physique. Posttreatment, patients may experience bruising and swelling, as well as recovery times that vary based on the section being treated. Floral arrangements and wicker furnishings fill Cosmetic Surgery Glendale's office, with long, gauzy curtains that frame the windows of the private treatment room.

Groupon Says

The Groupon Guide to Everyman’s Classics: Animal Farm

Is a society run by animals doomed to fail/be hilarious?

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