Brasero — BITE

Connor Bernard

After a year in business, Brasero, a contemporary Brazilian restaurant from veteran chef John Manion (of the celebrated Chicago staple steakhouse, El Che) has been wowing restaurant critics. With its garnered hype and strong pedigree, I had high expectations for this West Town joint. Walking in, I was immediately greeted by dim, warm lighting that mimicked a Latin speakeasy, featuring materials like wood and granite to create a luxurious, natural ambience. . While my party arrived promptly for our 9:45 reservation, we were first seated at the bar, which puzzled me because our reservation seemed to be past peak hours. However, we spent our ten minutes barside sipping on Moolah’s, made with vodka, passion fruit liqueur, lime, and ginger Beer. The Moolah reminded me of a slightly stronger Moscow Mule with Latin influence from the passion fruit and lime.

To start, I ordered the prawn and crab ceviche off the specials menu that came with onions, avocado, cucumbers, and plantain chips on the side. Each bite was a textural delight,, with the soft crab and prawn meat combining with the creamy avocado and crunchy cucumber to provide for a layered, complex bite. The tangy and acidic yet spicy sauce added a kick to each bite. While I enjoyed the spice for the first few bites, the ceviche soon became less refreshing and increasingly hot, with the flavor profile of each subsequent bite dominated by the heat. As a fan of spice myself, usually dousing every home cooked meal I make in sriracha and cholula, I still enjoyed the ceviche, but it didn’t deliver the usual refreshing and satisfying experience I had in mind when I ordered the dish.

For my main course, I decided to order small plates to get a broader taste of the menu. I ordered the Brazilian Fried Chicken with fennel, chiles, and pickled pepper aioli as well as the Sweet Potato with catupiry cheese, hot honey,fried pumpkin seed, peanut crunchies. Unfortunately, I was disappointed in both dishes. Both felt slightly uninspired and lacked the creative flair promised with a Latin take on modern American cuisine. While the ceviche had previously taken a clear creative choice with its flavor profile, both the sweet potato and the fried chicken lacked such direction. The fried chicken was dominated by the creamy pepper aioli and was solid, but nothing to write home about. Similarly, despite all of the garnishes and ingredients, the sweet potato ultimately tasted pretty similar to one I could boil at home.While tender, the sweet potato’s flavor didn’t match the complexity of its description—and felt more comforting than inspired. Both dishes seemed like strange choices to add a Latin flair too, as fried chicken and potatoes are traditionally quite standard American meals. Ultimately, the simple act of changing the sauces topping these standard dishes didn’t deliver on Latin fusion as promised.

Brasero is a fun new place to check out in West Town. With an interesting ambiance and good drinks, it is undoubtedly a cool spot, but perhaps one with more style over substance. Going into the experience with high expectations set by the restaurant itself and other reviews, Brasero does not live up to the hype. While the food is objectively good, it lacked the creativity and true creative daringness I expected for an establishment as highly touted. For $140 a person with drinks and an included tip for party size, there are dozens of other Chicago restaurants I would go back to before Brasero at the price point.