Wine Bar or Similar for First Date (Olney to Wheaton)

[Murphie]

I'm looking for a low key place for a first meeting... normally I'd do a wine bar-small plates kind of thing. We'll both drive and meet there. She lives in Brookville, I'm in Takoma Park, so anywhere in between on the Georgia, Layhill or New Hampshire Ave. corridors. I'm afraid of pretty slim pickings, among bars or restaurants, that is.

I'm looking for low noise level, comfortable, but no excuses. From the reviews I see two possible candidates in Olney

al Sospiro Trattoria Romana & Wine Bar or Taste Mezze. Anything further south?

This adventure is probably a bad idea since I rarely go outside the Beltway Anyway, I'd appreciate comments and other ideas.

Thanks

Murphie

[lmnop]

I haven't yet been to Taste, but I've heard it can get very loud because of many tables in a small space. Also, keep meaning to get to Al Sospiro. Ricciuti's in Olney might work. They have some small plates and it's usually pretty quiet in there. Upstairs tends to be a little more quiet than the downstairs room next to the bar.

[Joe H]

Murphie, I wish you the absolute best. I moved out of Silver Spring over 20 years ago so I can't help you with suggestions; still, you have an adventure. Good luck!

I should also note that years and years and years ago (early '80's-wow!) I put an ad in Washingtonian (when this was acceptible, long before the internet). I met several people just as you seem to be doing. I always picked somewhere dark and quiet. The theory was if that they (or I) was especially ugly nobody else would see us. If it was the first date of a lifetime, then we had somewhere to come back to when we were grandparents.