How does the cafeteria at the Brookings Institute compare to that of Cato? Do they stand a chance against American Enterprise Institute? Washington City Paper reporter Ruth Samuelson boldly goes where many a D.C. policy wonk has dined before, discovering that sometimes "the panel discussions are dry, but the chicken breasts are juicy."

When I lived in Washington, AEI’s cafeteria was rumored to be so good, unpaid interns didn't care about the unpaid part because they got carte blanche cafeteria access. Plus they could invite friends. Once invited, you wait for an emailed copy of that day's elaborate menu. Ahi tuna, lemongrass chicken, barbecued salmon with jicama, and grape soda are some examples. How good does slurping grape soda with lettered AEI scholars sound?

Anyone who's been to a Brookings Institute event before knows about "Brookies," the catered cookies in a range of flavors: chocolate chip, white chocolate macadamia, Oreo, Heath Bar Crunch, sugar, Reese’s Pieces, or M&Ms. The menu sounds a bit more boozy at the libertarian foundation Reason, where alcohol is sometimes tailored to speaker's messages, and happy hours take place at the safari-themed bar the Big Hunt in Dupont Circle after work.