"Quentin Tarantino is a movie genius. Reservoir Dogs , Pulp Fiction , Django Unchained - all f*cking awesome. He’s been blowing our minds with unhinged characters, plot twists, and sweet shootout scenes with lots of blood and hardcore Rick Ross songs since the early '90s. But not every movie can be his best. Take, for example, The Hateful Eight . It's very good compared to many other movies, but it's not Tarantino's best. Rick Bayless is like Tarantino in the Chicago restaurant world - everything he does is great, and comes with high expectations. And while Leña Brava is no doubt good and more enjoyable than most spots, it falls short of his greatest work. Leña Brava focuses on food from the Baja California region of Mexico, and the menu is split into two distinct sections, “fire" and "ice.” Everything from the fire side is mostly mains cooked on the open flame, and the ice side of things is made up of smaller and more delicate ceviches and other raw fish. In an ironic twist of fate, the ice section of the menu is straight fire, while we’re more willing to give the cold shoulder to dishes from the open flame. The key to having a great meal at Leña Brava is to stick to the seafood, most of which is in the ice section. This approach will inevitably leave you with a more expensive meal, but it's worth it. On the flip side, the hot entrees like pork and shrimp meatballs, short rib, and wood-roasted chicken are all good - not great. But don't take that as a sign you shouldn't eat at Leña Brava. The cool West Loop space makes it a guaranteed fun night out over kind of fancy Mexican food, and it's great for date night, dinner with friends or coworkers, and even parents if they're in town. We'd still eat here over most places given the opportunity, just like we'll still take Kill Bill: Vol. 2 over pretty much anything else you'd find on network television." - Sam Faye
