This is a bright, cheerful basement in a quiet residential area. It's about 15 minutes' walk from the shops and restaurants on Connecticut Avenue and 15 minutes' drive to busy downtown Bethesda. Esther was very helpful when I asked her questions, but otherwise the principal way to meet her is in her thoughtful touches -- high quality kitchen appointments, water in the refrigerator, snacks on a counter, helpful but not overwhelming written advice about DC (as a former DC resident myself, I thought her advice was spot-on).