John Manion
John Manion
Brasero
Cooking at:
Chicago Gala Dinner • Saturday, October 24, 2026 • Avec River North
Chef John Manion is a culinary leader whose restaurants reflect a genuine passion for live-fire cooking and South American flavors. His original voice helped to establish him as one of the city’s most popular chefs. Multiple nominations for "Chef of the Year" culminated most recently in a win at Chicago’s Jean Banchet Awards and the cover of Chicago Magazine's “Best Steakhouses” issue.
Long before Chicago’s West Loop became a sure thing, Chef Manion opened La Sirena Clandestina in 2012. The neighborhood darling maintained a cult following for nearly a decade. A few years later, he opened El Che Steakhouse & Bar in 2016. Inspired by Argentine live-fire cooking traditions, the restaurant continues to define the modern Chicago steakhouse.
In 2024, Chef Manion opened the bold, wood-fired Latin-inspired restaurant Brasero in Chicago’s West Town. The innovative concept reflects the chef’s boyhood memories of living in São Paulo and extensive travels throughout South America. Brasero caught fire with fans very fast, capturing hearts and stomachs and recognition as one of the country’s “Best New Restaurants of the Year” by Robb Report.
