Good, Casual, Quiet near Georgetown

[agm]

So here's the deal: my sister and her 19-year-old son are in town, visiting from Puerto Rico. They're staying in Georgetown (she has business at the hospital), and I'd like to take them to lunch or dinner (TBD) nearby this weekend. We'll probably walk around the neighborhood a bit before or after we eat. She cooks, and I assume they both like good food, but they probably haven't been exposed to the variety available here. I want to feed them well, but I don't want them to be out of their comfort zone, and I don't want the food to be the focus of the evening. There will likely be five of us, and conversation will be very important, so the volume has to be reasonable. I should mention that although she's my sister, we've never met (long story), so although I want a casual setting, the occasion is not casual at all. Any suggestions?

[DonRocks]

Mio with their Friday evening Lechon? I can try and call to get you a quiet area.

[agm]

Mio with their Friday evening Lechon? I can try and call to get you a quiet area.

I like Mio a lot, but I don't want to take Puerto RIcans out for Puerto RIcan food.

[DonRocks]

I like Mio a lot, but I don't want to take Puerto RIcans out for Puerto RIcan food.

You mentioned not wanting to take them out of their comfort zone!

The lounge area at Citronelle is quiet and a nice place for conversing (even with a 19-year-old). The whimsical visual tricks could be a big hit, too. Can't say it's "casual," but it is Georgetown.

And, there's Baked and Wired for the best cupcakes Washington, DC has ever seen, one short block across the C&O canal, for dessert. I cannot overemphasize just how *great* these cupcakes are.

Or maybe Bodega for tapas? My distant memory is that it might be a touch loud, however and this occasion might call for something a bit more conversational. Liver and Onions at The Guards? Old Glory for BBQ? Upstairs at Il Canale for very good pizza? Ching Ching Cha for a once-in-a-lifetime experience for your nephew? They have tea sandwiches, bento boxes, etc., and I've never once sent someone there who didn't really like it. It's wonderful, and a very unique place. Please do not wait in line at Georgetown Cupcakes when Baked and Wired is right there. Please?

You have to admit I really do try.

[thetrain]

I'd second Il Canale and add The Bayou, but only during the day when its quieter. Both are casual, good food. And if you go to Il Canale you definitely have to go to Baked and Wired for dessert. Good luck!

[darkstar965]

Peacock Cafe or Kafe Leopold for lunch? Bistro Le Pic or Cafe Divan (the latter nice, casual Turkish) just north of G'Town on Wisconsin.

[Ericandblueboy]

La Chaumiere?

[dcandohio]

Bodega doesn't have to be adventurous, as some of the tapas choices are quite mainstream, but it does get loud later in the evening.

I love La Chaumiere, but the tables are quite close together, making intimate or important conversations somewhat challenging.

Even though the food is not the best, Bangkok Joe's has booths that make conversation easy.

Honestly, the suggestion of The Guards is not bad at all. Lots of nooks in there for quiet conversation, especially earlier in the evening. And it's got that historic look and feel.

[agm]

Thanks, all. Good suggestions here. As it turns out, it will be lunch, and there will be four of us, not five, which means we all fit in the car (only one available) and can go anywhere we want. That gives me plenty of options. If we decide to stay in Georgetown and walk around a bit (which they may not want to do, since by Puerto Rican standards it will be pretty freakin' cold), we'll do Il Canale and Baked and Wired.