from “le détroit” · the strait
A new Spanish restaurant in Bedrock's City Modern building cooks nearly everything over a live hearth fed by Michigan oak, cherry, and applewood.
Brush Park has a new Spanish kitchen, and the fire is the whole idea.
Leña opened May 8, 2024, at 2720 Brush St., on the ground floor of Bedrock's City Modern development. The name is Spanish for firewood, and the restaurant lives up to it. According to the restaurant, nearly every dish meets flame, cooked over a live hearth fueled by Michigan oak, cherry, and applewood.
The food draws on Spanish flavors with a broader European reach. The menu is built to share, with plates listed from smaller to larger so a table can graze its way through the room. There are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options across the menu, and the kitchen leans on a Spanish wine list and a list of Spanish-inspired cocktails to round out the table. The pastry side gets its own spotlight, and the Basque cheesecake is the dessert the restaurant points guests toward.
The team is a roster of Detroit hospitality veterans. Leña comes from Matt Tulpa and Tarun Kajeepeta, the partners behind the downtown speakeasy Shelby. The kitchen carries alumni from some of the city's better-known rooms, including a pastry program led by Lena Sareini. Sareini was a multiple-time James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year during her run at Selden Standard, a recognition she marked publicly at the time (WXYZ).
Practical notes for a first visit. The dinner service runs Wednesday through Monday, with the kitchen closed on Tuesdays. Hours are 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday and Sunday through Monday, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are handled through OpenTable, there is a free parking lot across the street, and the restaurant offers a small ride voucher to guests who ask when they book.
2720 Brush St., Detroit.
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