If we wanted to do a Gowanus trip, the best bet would be to meet either in the Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens area (F train) or on the other side in Park Slope (many trains). I used to live in Carroll Gardens and knew a number of good places to meet, but things have changed quite a lot in the last couple of years, so it would probably be best to go down and scope it out first. I would recommend Shakespeare's Sister on Court St. (a gift shop and gallery that used to have a cafe in the back), but I'm not sure if they still have the cafe. They may have turned it into more display space.