Comfort Is at the Heart of Everything at Unconventional Diner

This down to earth, colorful restaurant may be something of a surprise considering Deshaies’ fine dining pedigree — the French chef trained under the famed chef Michel Richard, developing culinary techniques traditional of those who came of age in the Loire Valley. But at Unconventional Diner, you’ll find no white tablecloths. Instead, booths are outfitted in a delightful sage green, bar stools are burgundy, your meatloaf might arrive on a plate with skull motifs, and the artwork on the walls is just a little bit funky. It’s easy to feel at home at Unconventional Diner, because comfort is at the crux of what Deshaies and his team set out to do.

“Our goal is to be consistently delicious and fair to the customer,” he says, “We will never stop striving for quality, service and value. It’s the best way to keep our customers happy and coming back.” And this is particularly the case given the chef’s family background in restaurants — long before he worked in fine dining, his first job was working at his uncle’s establishment, and feeding people seems to be embedded into his DNA.

“There’s nothing that makes me happier than hearing customers tell me they love the food,” he says. “It also helps that Unconventional Diner celebrates American cuisine — classics like burgers and Caesar salad and chicken noodle soup never go out of style — while offering globally inspired dishes that our guests also crave.”

Those globally inspired dishes include a sweet potato shakshuka, the team’s twist on the Middle Eastern classic, a Lebanese fried rice, and Deshaies’ personal favorite, the sopa criolla. “I developed this soup after a visit to my wife’s homeland of Peru,” he says. “I like to bring back the experiences of my trips while keeping in mind the reference point of diner food. So, while it might seem strange to have this rich Peruvian soup on a diner menu, it still fits because it’s something people eat at home there. It’s comfort food — but from somewhere else.”

And ultimately, comfort is at the heart of everything Unconventional Diner produces, which is part of its staying power. “After years of being in fine dining working at Citronelle with Michel Richard, my partners and I concluded that fine food didn’t have to be reserved for just fine dining,” Deshaies says. “I didn’t go to diners growing up, since there aren’t any in France, but I often went to diners after hours with other chefs. These late nights of camaraderie and comfort food ignited my love of American cuisine and food culture. I even had a modern painting of a cheeseburger in my living room.”