The charming French-American food that is often as whimsical as it is delicious served at Convivial reflects the personality of it’s owner and Executive Chef Cedric Maupillier. Charming yet sincere; presenting good food with humility. A change from his first solo restaurant, Mintwood Place, the food at his Shaw hotspot feels lighter somehow, even with his famed burger, classic fish n chips, and his infamous fried chicken coq au vin.
Where many head to brunch to drink their calories to continue the previous evenings festivities, some seek hearty options to soak them up, others still (increasingly so) find themselves seeking lighter fare. Convivial has you covered. From various fresh squeezed juices, museli, and yogurt, Convivial offers amazing seafood options such as a pickled Rockfish (Atlantic stripped bass) with green papaya, avocado, passion fruit, and watermelon radish; a very light yet filling seafood option. A classic shrimp & grits and a very crispy English pub style fish n chips also flank the menu, our ultimate favorites are two of their most visually stunning seafood options.
The simple smoked salmon with toasted brioche is a gorgeous plate of deliciousness that leaves you feeling full and healthy. Gorgeous, thinly sliced smoked salmon is adorned with crowns of capers, thin red onions, hard boiled egg and served with four slices of toast with a lemon and creme fraiche. Eaten smeared on the bread, by itself or mixed together, this is one of our favorite seafood brunch dishes in DC.
The second looks like a work of art and tastes like a masterpiece. Housemade whitefish salad is generously applied to a never-soggy multi-grain toast (seriously it’s never been soggy) and is topped with gorgeous bitter microgreens, frisee greens and edible flowers. The exact composition varies we’ve found but the flavors don’t. Best enjoyed by slicing and just taking a large bite! Sure you may have some greens on your face at the end, but the bread will hold and your stomach will thank you. Don’t forget the lemon squeeze to give it that extra zip.
As if you needed more reasons to love Convivial (or head to Shaw for that matter), here are two more.
Keep up with Chef Cedric on Twitter and learn more about Convivial from their website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.