By Eric Brace
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 15, 1999; Page N13
LAST SUNDAY, 16 of the area's finest songwriters and singers converged on Food for Thought for a tribute concert to the longtime vegetarian/neo-bohemian hangout that will probably close its doors at the end of February. The cozy Connecticut Avenue joint played host to thousands of performers during its 25-year run, including Mary Chapin Carpenter, who stopped in Sunday night for a short set. In between songs she thanked owner Bob Ferrando for helping her pay her rent back in the salad days, when Food for Thought was on her regular local gig circuit.
Carpenter was joined by John Jennings, Bill Danoff, Bill Baker and Jon Carroll, each of whom also performed a set, as did the likes of Evelyn Harris, Tom Prasado-Rao and event organizer Julie Sanderson. "It was a very, very special night," Sanderson says. "Everyone who played Sunday had performed at Food for Thought before, except for Bill Danoff, and they were all very sad that it's going to close."
As rents have risen around Dupont Circle, Ferrando has found it harder to make ends meet. "Back when we opened there weren't that many places to hang out, certainly not vegetarian places," he says. "Now there are just too many good places where people can go for coffee or tea or even vegetarian food. We used to serve 300 people a day, and now that's down to 150. We helped pave the way, but the core business just isn't there anymore."
Ferrando's son Dante owns the Black Cat club on 14th Street NW, and Ferrando senior says that once he hands over the lease to Food for Thought, he'll move his food operations into the underused kitchen of that rock club. "We're going to try to make it more conducive to eating. I think it could work out real well over there." Ferrando expects the deal to be nailed down this week, and says it's likely that Feb. 28 will mark the end of Food for Thought.