Some, such as The Washington Post, have recently argued that food equals strength in powerful institutions, such as Congress. Here is more from a Post article on Rep. Steve Scalise's (R-LA) win to be House Majority Whip:
On Wednesday night, Scalise had hosted 40 allies at Acadiana, an upscale Louisiana Creole restaurant in the District. Even in a powerful institution like the House, the strength of a candidacy is measured by its free food. And Scalise’s food was solid.
One could also argue that if a think tank is weak, it needs to have good food in order to attract more people to its events and work.
Talking about think tank food, Think Tank Watch has been wondering what happened to the mysterious "Think Tank Crasher" - an anonymous blogger who last year was documenting his quest to get free meals at think tanks. Here is an exclusive interview that Think Tank Watch had with the "panel crasher."
Here is a previous Think Tank Watch post on the best food experience at a think tank.