the july sky is a brilliant blue, and I’m sitting happily on a shaded terrace at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center, admiring the nearby Rodin sculptures and sipping a glass of freshly squeezed organic lemonade. The lunch special on my plate looks like a photograph from Bon Appétit. On one side sits a steaming cup of lentil soup with a rich tomato base; on the other, a half-sandwich on crunchy whole-wheat bread is positively bursting with baby spinach leaves, egg salad and capers. My 13-year-old son, Eric, meanwhile, has gone straight for the chocolate cake—a densely decadent piece of fudge—with a chaser of whole organic milk. “Five stars,” he proclaims.

Food on campus has come a long way from the days when rolled turkey with bright yellow gravy was the plat du jour. Dining halls—most renovated recently—now serve up such items as fresh sushi and Starbucks coffee. In addition, the campus has seen a proliferation of small upscale eateries designed for employees and campus visitors. The organic seasonal café at Cantor, for example, is run by Jesse Cool of Menlo Park’s beloved Flea Street Café. Likewise, Terman Engineering Center recently closed its venerable Nuts and Mud snack bar in favor of a bistro to be operated by Palo Alto’s hot Caffe Riace Ristorante Italiano.

The changes, it should be noted, are not everyone’s cup of herbal tea. Juanita Maria Shaikh, the operations manager at Branner Earth Sciences Library and a former regular at Nuts and Mud, says upscale bistros are okay once in a while, “but for everyday they’re just too expensive.” Nadeem Siddiqui, the executive director of Stanford Dining Services, which runs the dining halls and several of the new cafés, replies that his prices beat most non-fast-food places in Palo Alto. And, he says, there are always catering trucks circling campus for those who want an inexpensive bite to eat. As for the organic lemonade and baby greens, they’re probably here to stay. “Stanford people come from all over the world now,” Siddiqui explains. “They want to eat what they want to eat, when they want to eat. They’ve traveled. They know flavors. And they can critique your sushi like there’s no tomorrow.”

To start your own campus culinary tour, head first to Moon Bean’s Café, a snack bar tucked between Meyer and Green libraries. Skim the Daily and people-watch from the outdoor tables while you enjoy gourmet coffee. For a breakfast treat, try an apple croissant ($2), a delicate puff pastry wrapped around perfectly spiced fruit and dusted with powdered sugar.

Lunch options now go way beyond Tresidder Union’s café and Coffee House (both of which got Stanford Dining makeovers over the summer). For an al fresco meal on the Outer Quad, there’s Olives@Building 160. This Tuscan-themed bistro—former home of the plain-Jane Poli Sci Café—now boasts a California/Mediterranean-inspired menu that includes kebabs fresh from the outdoor grill and Italian coffees. On my last visit, I ordered pinwheels of marinated beef—a little tough but still tasty—accompanied by a truly delicious rice pilaf and salad of cucumber, peppers and feta ($6.75).

Sports fans and folks with kids may enjoy Jimmy V’s Sports Café in the Arrillaga Family Sports Center—good basic food and a generous serving of Cardinal nostalgia. Photos of Stanford athletes grace the walls and the television set is always tuned to ESPN. My teenager really liked his spaghetti with meatballs ($5.95) and milkshake (chocolate, of course; $3.95), while I enjoyed the lean French dip sandwich served on a crusty baguette ($5.95).

For a high-tech Silicon Valley lunch experience, check out the mod-looking Bytes Café in the Packard electrical engineering building. “Our approach is to combine California-inspired menu items with ethnic specials such as Thai chicken, quesadillas and Asian pot stickers,” says proprietor Joe Oliveira, son of Stanford art professor emeritus Nathan Oliveira. At rush times, he adds, “the lines are out the door.”

Finally, if you’re still on campus in the late afternoon, consider winding down with a glass of beer or wine or a cup of espresso at the café in the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center. The establishment hosts live bands and a Wednesday trivia night. And yes, Eric, they have chocolate cake there, too.

—T.J.