88 Ninth Avenue (between 16th and 17th Sts.) 212-977-6096 www.lasirena-nyc.com
Italian. La Sirena is a restaurant. Yet by the time you’ve walked up the stairs, you’re convinced you’re at a club. The style, vibe and crowd create an unmistakable electricity that makes you so happy to be there. And you haven’t even tasted the food! Once you do, it’ll take every bit of discipline not to jump out of your seat and do a cartwheel.
I began my meal with quail alla piastra (rhubarb, marinated figs, red mustard greens). I have seen this dish never, which is too bad considering how completely delicious is its blend of flavors. They are clearly experts at harmony here, proven again by the pici with sausage and escarole (hand rolled spaghetti, fresh sausage, escarole ragu).
What might they do with an entrée? Take a bite of the polpette agrodolce with escarole and pecorino and find out. You’re presented three sweet and sour meatballs, each thankfully immodest in taste and size. The Sicilian style grilled swordfish alla messinese is equally inspirational, with olives, tomatoes, currants, capers, pine nuts, and marjoram.
Allow yourself to get full at your own peril. To do so would mean missing out on dolce like chocolate coppetta (chocolate espresso sponge cake, chocolate gelato, honey vanilla mascarpone and espresso chocolate syrup). It is dessert, coffee and heaven all at once. But then again, La Sirena is much more than you could ever have expected.