Raymond Lena, longtime Shore restaurateur, has died

Raymond Lena, whose family-run Italian restaurant has been a staple in Sea Bright for nearly three decades, has died.

Lena, 76, passed away unexpectedly after a brief unexpected illness, according to his obituary. Visitation will take place from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, March 1, at Fiore-Buckley Funeral Home in the Oakhurst section of Ocean Township.

Lena first became a part of the Shore's restaurant scene by working as a cook at Jimmy’s Italian Restaurant in Asbury Park. He ran a restaurant at Elberon Bathing Club for many years before opening Anjelica's Restaurant on Ocean Avenue in Sea Bright with his wife, Phyllis, in 1996.

"July 12, 1996 ... was the first day," he told The Asbury Park Press in 2015. "My brother found the space, and people asked why we picked it. I thought it was good — close to (places including) Rumson, Navesink, Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, Deal, Atlantic Highlands.

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"At the time, Sea Bright was sort of like a clamming town," he said. "I wasn't concerned with the location, just the food."

Born in the Bronx, Lena grew up in a family where food was made fresh — a tradition that would influence the menu at Anjelica's.

"I used to hang around the kitchen as a kid," he said of his childhood. "On Fridays, we made fresh dough for pizza, raviolis for Sunday. We never went out to eat."

In 2012, Anjelica's — located across from the beach in Sea Bright — was destroyed by superstorm Sandy. But the Lena family rebuilt.

"At one point, I didn't know if I could do it," Lena said. "The only thing left was the front gated door, an antique I picked up in Asbury Park. We had six feet of water."

After a yearlong closure, every staff member returned to the restaurant.

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Lena's daughter, Anjelica, now runs the restaurant that bears her name. Her mother, Phyllis, died in 2013.

"Watching people enjoy what we do everyday is so gratifying," Anjelica told The Asbury Park Press in a prior interview. "We have wonderful customers and strong relationships. The little things — picking fresh flowers for the outside every day — that's the heart of it.

"When I was younger, I didn't realize all that would entail," she said of owning a restaurant that bears her name. "Having my name up there brings a certain high standard I set for myself ... Anjelica's is my everyday life. It's where I grew up, it's my home. It's not necessarily about having my name on the door — it's about what this little restaurant means to me and our community."

Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to sgriesemer@gannettnj.com, follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to our Jersey Shore Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Longtime Shore restaurateur Raymond Lena has died