Leña, the pop-up dedicated to wood-fired Salvadoran cooking from former Osteria Mozza chef Jimmy Reyes, debuts to the public this Friday, August 16, in Boyle Heights. Named after the Spanish word for firewood, Leña pays homage to the chef’s family’s hometown of Chalatenango, El Salvador. “When you’re here, I want it to feel like family,” Reyes says.

Reyes conceived the idea for a periodic dinner series while visiting his grandmother’s home in Tejutla, Chalatenango. The rich scent of roasting meat emanating from her humble residence set in El Salvador’s lush countryside led the chef to an epiphany — he wanted to recreate the simple pleasure of a smoky, home-cooked Salvadoran meal for diners in Los Angeles. “We came back refreshed and inspired,” he says.

The bi-monthly dinners priced at $90 per person are centered around a five-course tasting menu featuring Reyes’s interpretations of classic Salvadoran dishes. He combines the expert techniques he learned in professional kitchens with homestyle approaches gleaned from cooking over a wood fire with his aunt, Candida De La Luz, at family events. “She’s been cooking all her life, and I’ve been learning from her all of mine,” he says.

Leña’s ambience feels like a secret dinner party, with Cumbia and Bolero music setting a festive tone as diners approach Reyes’s home, tucked into an unassuming residential neighborhood in Boyle Heights. The narrow driveway is thoughtfully converted into a dining area fit for 20 by Reyes’s fiancée, Luisa Cartagena. The tables are topped with fresh flowers, candles, and Salvadoran folk art, while warm bistro lights illuminate the entire scene. The smell of burning almond wood fills the air. “Leaving Osteria Mozza was scary, but I’m deeply grateful for the lessons from Nancy Silverton and her team,” says Reyes. “The biggest takeaway is that the quality of ingredients defines a dish.”

The chef applies this ethos to the cooking at Leña. The menu is anchored by staple Salvadoran dishes prepared in the chef’s homemade hearth with distinct sazón (flavor), including pupusas, pollo asado, grilled meats, and seasonal vegetables. Some courses are served family style to capture the feel of an informal backyard gathering. A recent test run of the menu began with a summery grilled white peach and tomato salad topped with crema agria (sour cream), alguashte (ground squash seeds), fresh mint, and Salvadoran queso duro (hard cheese).

The garlic- and achiote-rubbed pollo asado was brined for a full day before being marinated and hitting the white-hot hearth. The half-chicken arrived with a chermoula sauce made from Castelvetrano olives, loroco, green onions, jalapeño, oregano, and lemon. Served alongside it were fire-roasted rainbow carrots with crema agria and loroco pesto.

Leña’s pupusas, prepared by Reyes’s aunt, a master pupusera, were an anticipated highlight. The expert ratio of water to masa made for flavorful parcels with a delicate texture. Each had a slightly charred surface and came packed with fillings like black beans with cheese, chicken with cheese, and loroco with cheese.

The final course featured a grass-fed rib eye with roasted shallots marinated in apple cider vinegar and Salvadoran salsa negra. A chunky chimol made with diced watermelon cucumbers, baby Tommy Toe tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, radish, and lemon juice was served alongside it. While Coca-Cola and Topo Chico were provided to drink, diners were encouraged to bring their libations.

Looking toward the future, Reyes has been inspired by modern Salvadoran restaurants, like Popoca in Oakland, to open a brick-and-mortar. But in the meantime, the dinner series is contributing to Los Angeles’s thriving Salvadoran food scene, along with fellow pop-ups like Walking Spanish, which is dedicated to contemporary Central American cooking, and Delmy’s Pupusas, a stand that prepares El Salvador’s national dish at farmers market across the Southland using organic masa and seasonal vegetables.

Reservations are available on Leña’s Instagram account through direct message.