The beautifully serene setting and Italian comfort-food will become like a Siren’s song for you, luring you back, we guarantee…although we do have a warning for you

As our regular readers well know, we’re absolute suckers when it comes to restaurants with water views, so a try-out of Sirena, at Pier Village, has been long overdue.

And as the regular diners-around in our area also know - all too often, a great water view lulls a lot of restaurant owners into serving up some very half-hearted meals. And it lulls a lot of restaurant-goers into overlooking, and sometimes even being oblivious to such half-hearted efforts, when - without the view - they’d come once and never come back.

No problems like that at Sirena, we’re happy to report – in fact, it’s quite the opposite:

To start at the start, the ambience grabs you, and literally lures you in, the moment you come in the door: Soft lighting…gauzy draperies blowing softly from the high ceilings… comfy-looking sofas for side-by-side seating against the walls… warm Tuscan colors on the walls; warm Tuscan tiles on the floors…candles flickering softly on the tables and on the mantelpiece…framing a cozy fire…Just perfection, for a Fall evening dinner!

And folks, this is before you see the water view…which is stupendous. The night we went, foamy, white-capped rollers were rolling in on the spotless beach, softly lit up by floodlights. But it was so cozy inside, we hardly cared that we were too late for a table by the water, though for sure, we’ll come earlier next time. Even though we were starving, we all decided we should have a drink first, just to unwind and soak up the comfiness a bit, and to scan the menu with proper care. Three of us had the house Sauvignon Blanc…which, for a mere seven bucks a glass, hit the spot perfectly...while Mrs. Hilton indulged herself after a hard day with a Cosmo, made perfectly to her specifications.

To start, and to tide us over while we perused the menu, we ordered what - despite my protestations to stop doing this - has become our standard starter: Fried Calamari. “Dad, it’s a good way to see what kind of cooks they really are” my son protested…and he’s right, I’ve got to agree. Sirena’s were pretty alluring – hot and crispy outside…kind of chewy inside, but in a nice way, and with a nice fresh taste…and with a really tasty marinara sauce too. “But no tentacles!” the calamari-booster protested…so, Sirena, we’re hoping for better luck on this detail next time.

We also ordered some wine, where we must say, we liked the easygoing simplicity of the main list - that grouped the selections into $25, $35 & $45 whites and reds, so all you had to think about was the price point and the varietal.

The menu was a delightful surprise too; a very short – but not too short list – of what we can only call “Italian comfort food”:

Mrs. Hilton, who has her own “benchmarking dishes” when dining around in Italian restaurants, ordered pasta fagioli. “Like velvet”, she said. And it was, we agreed, as we all snuck a spoonful or two. Although, rather oddly, only one tiny piece of pasta was discovered among the fagioli, no one was complaining. Her other “benchmarking dish” of late – pork – came Valdostano style…and it was yummy comfort food too…and nice and moist, as pork should be…but so often ain’t when dining around.

Our daughter-in-law opted for an arugula salad – with first-rate slices of Bresaola, and generous shavings of cheese – and a pizza…which hit the spot for her. Our ‘tentacle-deprived’ son decided to try the Porcini Ravioli, which were rich, creamy and with an intense mushroom flavor, and, although they were a tad underdone around the edges, no one was complaining about this either.

I couldn’t resist a go at the Veal Saltimbocca – a dish I haven’t had in a dozen years, because usually it’s a flop. To really “jump in your mouth”, as its name says this dish is meant to do, it has to have a near-perfect balance of sweetness, from the Marsala; saltiness, from the prosciutto; sharp spiciness, from some fresh sage leaves; creaminess, from some good quality mozzarella…and some tangy-ness, from fresh tomato and spinach. And, oh yes, let’s not forget, it really needs to be underpinned by some excellent cutlets of veal…and not those mushy, needle-tenderized slabs of mush so many restaurants try to get away with. On my own private Richter Scale - and much to my pleasant surprise, because this is a very hard dish to make well - I’d have to give this a very solid 8 or 9 on the “jumpiness in mouth” department and a solid 8 or 9 for tenderness and “not over-doneness”.

We had room for only one dessert, from what looked like a most alluring selection, so it had to be Tiramisu, another item that is, or should be, very, very high on the comfort-food Richter Scale. In Italian it means “hits me where I’m (really) at”…which this one did.

The many siren’s songs of Sirena will lure us back very, very soon, we all agreed. But here’s our promised word of warning; “Come summer, be prepared for a two hour wait”, my son advised. So go now, while the goin’s so good for us locals!

Sirena is at 27 Ocean Avenue, on the ocean, at Pier Village in Long Branch

Tel: 732-222-1119