We were looking for a bar to watch UVA lose its chance to make the Final Four, and this being Easter, the neighborhood Irish pub was closed. A new place, called Unplugged, is a sports bar with a divey interior that plays a mix of reggaeton, classic rock hits, and out-of-nowhere choices like a DJ remix of Barber’s Adagio for Strings. They also have the best ceviche in the neighborhood, and this is a part of suburban Maryland where, with the Irish pub excepted, ceviche is an obligatory item on every menu. Presentation is important for ceviche, and on either side of the fish they spooned out two kinds of corn: something like popcorn, and cooked kernels that were triangular-shaped and larger than the corn I’m used to. There were also sweet potatoes in the shape of a circle and some dried plantains to dip in hot sauce. The main course was just okay, but I will be back for the ceviche.

(Photo: Cafe, San Juan, Puerto Rico.)

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