"Music gives us the concept of the supergroup — a band formed by members of other successful acts. The members’ prior successes don’t guarantee the supergroup’s — for every Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, there’s a Chickenfoot that never quite catches on. Leña, which opened this May in Detroit’s Brush Park, is a supergroup of sorts that did it the right way."

"Spanish-inspired restaurant Leña was recently named one of HOUR Detroit Magazine's best new restaurants. The restaurant is located at 2720 Brush St. in Detroit."

"Partners Matt Tulpa and Tarun Kajeepeta are the team that brought Detroit the subterranean speakeasy Shelby to a bank vault in downtown’s Financial District. The duo’s newest endeavor, Leña, draws inspiration from two renowned culinary regions in Spain. Spanish for firewood, the kitchen at Leña is helmed by executive chef Mike Conrad, along with sous chef Marcello Molteni, and celebrated pastry chef Lena Sareini. The centerpiece of its open-air kitchen is its hearth fueled by Michigan-sourced oak, cherry, and applewood."

"The flavors at this Spanish-inspired spot in Brush Park are outstanding."​

"Leña, meaning firewood in Spanish, centers its wood hearth as the focal point of the Brush Park restaurant. Inspired by the cuisine and culture of Spain’s Catalan and Basque regions, the menu is a collaboration with the team behind Shelby and Coffee Down Under, executive chef Mike Conrad, executive sous chef Marcello Molteni, and pastry chef Lena Sareini. Anticipate a range of offerings from a pintxos menu to substantial main courses. Complementing the cuisine is an approachable wine list featuring Spanish selections, a specialty cocktail list, curated gin and tonic menu, and a low-alcohol beverage program highlighting sherry and vermouth."​

"Leña draws inspiration from two renowned culinary regions in Spain. Spanish for firewood, the kitchen features an open-air kitchen and a hearth fueled by Michigan-sourced oak, cherry, and applewood. Diners can expect an array of seafood and vegetable-forward offerings cooked over an open flame. On the pintxos menu, are items like bacalao served with Motherloaf bread, a stuffed squid prepared with squid ink sauce, swordfish brochettes in romesco, a rotation of crudos, and a selection of seafood-forward pintxos."

"Leña, whose name translates to "firewood" in Spanish, focuses on cuisine inspired by Spain's Basque and Catalan regions.

Overall, the 3,000-square-foot restaurant has an open feel with open ceilings and exposed ventilation. In Brush Park, Leña is meant to a be a neighborhood spot, a daily place to gather for a drink, some pintxos, tapas and shared plates. The bar is to one side of the open kitchen and the dining room to the other. There’s seating along the Brush Street side windows, a row of built-in high-top tables as well as a lounge and bar seating at the bar that corners Alfred Street and Brush Street. Leña’s bar program features craft cocktails, cider and beer, and a wide selection of Spanish wines by the glass and bottle."​

"The inspiration for Leña was derived from the founders’ time spent visiting Spain, but also the limited options for Spanish cuisine in Detroit. The menu is focused on traditions from the Catalan and Basque regions of Spain and diners can expect an array of seafood and vegetable-forward offerings — all cooked over an open flame. While the menu is being finalized, customers can expect items like anchovy skewers, octopus and charred scallion with crispy potatoes, middleneck clams a la plancha, chorizo-stuffed half chicken, and smoked mushrooms tartines. Ordering is based on one’s budget and appetite, from a la carte dishes, and smaller tapas and pintxos. As for the bar program, expect traditional Spanish cocktails, sherry, vermouth, and aperitifs — including gin tonics."​

"Acorn-fed Iberian ham, grilled snow pea salad, chorizo-stuffed chicken, sangria and aged Spanish sherry are among the highlights of new Brush Park restaurant Leña.

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Opening this week in the rapidly developing neighborhood on Brush near Alfred, Leña is run by young veterans of the city's hospitality scene and aims to offer a bit of the Catalonia and Basque regions of Spain a few blocks outside of downtown Detroit."​

"A team of seasoned restaurant folks are heading up the staff, including New York native Mike
Conrad as executive chef. Conrad previously worked at Corktown Thai restaurant Takoi and Magnet in Core City. Lena Sareini, who previously worked at Selden Standard and was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Rising Star Chef of the Year in 2018 and 2019 — is Leña's pastry chef. General Manager Gabe DeFlaviis also worked at Selden Standard.

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Leña has 3,200 square feet on the ground floor, which is divided into a dining room and a living room area with a kitchen in the middle. The restaurant has seating for 86 with plans for the addition of an outdoor patio, Kajeepeta said.

Leña, which is Spanish for “firewood,” will feature food from the Basque and Catalan sections of Spain. The menu offers a variety of seafood dishes cooked over an open flame, including a stuffed squid and wood-fired whole tiger prawns, along with items such as a chorizo-stuffed half chicken. Bar bites include a tuna stuffed pepper and cider-braised mushrooms."​

"Located in Bedrock’s City Modern building at 2720 Brush St., Leña brings something new to Detroit, drawing inspiration from the team’s travels to create a space that feels like home for all who enter.

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“One of the great things about what I realized from my travels to Spain is that hospitality is what it’s really about,” Mindy Lopus, director of operations at Leña, says. “It’s about creating a family, whether it’s a family of staff or a family of your community. So, we wanted to really just give it this celebratory feel and I think we’ve gotten pretty successful at doing that.”