Spending time in DC is always an opportunity to go out and eat interesting food. We went to the Unconventional Diner last nigh (1207 9th St. NW, a part of the Washington Convention Center) and the trip was well worthwhile.
We started with a round of drinks. The "Heard it through the Grapevine," pisco sour was truly exceptional. They made it with passionfruit and simple syrup and it really was smooooth. OTOH, the Licia Albarinio wine we had was just fair -- not as much tang and taste as some other Albarinio's we've had in the past, so when we go back (and we will!) we'll try a different bottle.
And yes, we will go back because the food was magnificent. We were there with friends Nancy and Jocelyn and so we had a chance to taste a bunch of stuff. Our starters were stars -- the corn bread (that's it in the photo) came with a habanero spiced butter that was simply stunning. We also had the cauliflower salad with spicy tahini sauce and the shitake mushroom roll with salad wrap. My personal favorite was the crab fritters with red peppers and jalepeno and a calming remoulade.
The main courses were just as interesting. Katy had a sweet potato curry with coconut rice and a falafel protein. Nancy had the same thing with shrimp. Jocelyn had the vegan Mexi-Cali "Chili" with squash, kale and avacado. The side of lebneh was as good a lebneh as I've ever tasted.
I had the Peking Duck confit. It came with bao bao rolls and a homemade hoisin that was ... really different. Most hoisin is cloying and too sweet. This one was much less so, and it was great -- it let the duck taste shine through.
We had outdoor seating that was fine and pleasant -- a bit too close to the street for my taste, but those are the sorts of compromises you have to make these days, and it was well worth it. We will, as I said, go back.
