UNCONVENTIONAL DINER: INTERNATIONAL UPSCALE COMFORT FOOD NEAR WASHINGTON DC’S CONVENTION CENTER
The Cost -$37 per person
The Atmosphere – Located right next to the Convention Center in the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood of Washington DC, Unconventional Diner boasts a super-fun, modern interior with amazing, colorful Keith Haring-like art on the walls. Like a true diner, the restaurant is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner and while reservations are not always needed, they are certainly recommended for weekend brunch as well as Friday and Saturday evenings.
Unconventional Diner opened in Washington DC in 2017 and has received several recognitions since. At the restaurant, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2020 and 2021, Chef David Deshaies has curated a menu of upscale comfort foods from a variety of international cuisines such as Caribbean Shrimp and Grits, Mac ‘N’ Cheese, and Chicken Parm “Florentine.” The ability to choose from many of the most well-known dishes of a variety of global cuisines is a unique trait of Unconventional Diner that makes for some difficult ordering decisions.
The Order – Corn Bread Muffins, “Dirty” Caesar, Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts, Peking Duck Confit, and a Flan.
The Fantastic – My favorite dish of the evening was actually a side: the Cast Iron Brussels Sprouts. The dish surprisingly did not come in a cast iron skillet, but it did come plated with caramelized onions, a tikka masala sauce, and scallions. The tikka masala was excellent and the flavor it gave to the Brussels sprouts, which were a bit crispy on the outside but soft on the inside, was delicious. This side is a must-order and a good value for the price.
The Great – The Corn Bread Muffins were an amazing way to start the meal and were the perfect embodiment of upscale comfort food. The funkily shaped corn bread muffins are good on their own but the habanero butter with honey crystals that comes on the plate takes this classic southern comfort food to the next level. The sweet and spicy kick in the butter is wonderful and since the appetizer comes with four muffins, it makes for a perfect shared plate.
The second Unconventional Diner dish to earn our Great rating was the Flan. A special flan prepared with cut-up strawberries and small strips of basil, this dessert was done very nicely and was a high-end version of the typical flan that you can find in restaurants and homes all over the world. The strawberries and basil added freshness to the dish, something that is not usually part of the flan-eating experience but what made this dish a winner.
The Okay – I was very excited to see how Chef Deshaies was going to elevate the traditional Caesar salad. His “Dirty” Caesar was made with lettuce, smoked tomatoes, aged gouda cheese, a split open boiled egg, and was garnished with some fresh herb. This interpretation of the Caesar salad was a little too out there as, aside from the lettuce, nothing else reminded me of the traditional salad. The salad was heavy on the black pepper, which I enjoyed, but overall, I couldn’t figure out why the dish’s name referenced Caesar salad.
My least favorite dish of the evening was the Peking Duck Confit which I ordered both because I love Peking Duck and because the menu stated that the dish was in limited supply and so I figured it was going to be extra special. The entrée came with bao, zucchini, hoisin sauce, and cilantro and the idea was for you to make Peking duck bao. While I liked the concept, the duck itself was just not tasty enough; it was too dry, not soft enough, and lacked flavor.
The Verdict – The takeaway from Unconventional Diner is that if you order right, you are going to have an excellent meal. The problem is that there are at least a couple of dishes that just don’t stack up to the rest. If you head to Unconventional Diner, make sure to take our Great and Fantastic recommendations with you and ask around before ordering something that we did not review to help ensure that your dining experience is a positive one.