John Manion to bring Brazilian-influenced Brasero to West Town

“Wood-fired and Latin-inspired” is how John Manion describes his upcoming restaurant, Brasero. The chef behind the very busy El Che Steakhouse & Bar in the West Loop said the new project will be located in West Town at the former Funkenhausen space. Look for a November opening date.

Like his beloved Fulton Market restaurant La Sirena Clandestina, which closed in 2019 after running for seven years, Brasero will feature a lot of Brazilian influences. Though he spent his early years in Michigan, his family moved to the South American country when he was 8 years old.

“When I was a young chef, I just wanted to cook food that I ate as a kid in Brazil,” Manion said. “When La Sirena closed it was time because the lease was up, but it felt unfinished.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Manion-helmed restaurant without a wood-fueled grill, and Brasero will have a huge one. “All I want to do is stare at fires,” Manion said. “I don’t know that I want to work anywhere that doesn’t have a grill.” He explained that someone in Texas is building him a “very big grill,” which will have room for quick high-heat cooking, along with plenty of space for smoking items low and slow.

The menu is still being finalized, but look out for chicken marinated with “tons of garlic” and malagueta chiles, a very spicy chile used often in Brazil. He’s also going to be serving moqueca, a Brazilian seafood stew that he thinks is “up there in terms of the world’s best dishes.” The drink menu will include Brazil’s most popular cocktail, the caipirinha.

Manion feels especially excited about the project after he was able to show off many of the dishes at a recent pop-up at Sportsman’s Club. “We didn’t really tell people, but we served dishes we’ll have at Brasero,” Manion said. Along with the roasted chicken, he dished out a rump cap steak with chimichurri and Brazilian-style black beans and rice. “We did 170 plates, and afterward I think everyone on the team was so excited about the response,” Manion said.

Brasero is expected to open in November 2023 at 1709 W. Chicago Ave.

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com