I felt good after eating at Sprout Cafe, the new salad emporium on University Avenue. Not necessarily euphoric, but smug in knowing that I had eaten sensibly and done the right thing for myself and planet Earth. I often have a large salad for lunch, but eating at Sprout seemed more wholesome, more nourishing and beneficial.

Sprout's salads can be big, bold, colorful and jam-packed with ingredients, or as simple as unadorned leafy lettuce. Patrons can choose from a myriad of ingredients by ticking off exactly what they want on order pads located just inside the front door. After presenting the order to the cashier, the patron is given a number and the order is brought to the table. It's quick, clean and efficient.

The build-your-own salad concept was easily the most popular option during my visits. The concept is not new. It is similar to how The Counter operates its burger haven on California Avenue, and how Pluto's offers its salads elsewhere on University. What is new is the application to organic salads and mostly vegetarian fare. There are other items from which to choose as well: Sprout's "signature" salads, a "small bites" grouping, and soups and sandwiches.

Sprout is the brainchild of Vinh Vi, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy. However, opening a greens cafe wasn't quite that simple. He was first a civil engineer in San Francisco, measuring, calculating and advising on physical properties. While his parents owned Windy's Chinese restaurant in Palo Alto, he had a genetic passion for food that could not be denied. No more civil engineer.

After completing study at the Culinary Academy in San Francisco, he gained experience cooking in New York, Hawaii and Los Angeles. When his parents decided to retire, he took over the Windy's space, remodeled it and, in late August, opened Sprout.

"I always loved salads and am very excited about this concept," he said. "Cooking in different parts of the country, I learned new combinations and about herbs and spices.

"We try to buy everything we can from local, certified organic growers. It's often more expensive, and costs fluctuate, but it's worth it and we try to maintain steady pricing on our menu."

The basic build-your-own salad is $6.95 for a full salad and $4.95 for a half salad. There are six lettuces and spinach to start off, and a choice of six ingredients from 36 alternatives including fruits, nuts, seeds and cheeses. And there are a dozen dressings from which to select. Premium options are offered as well, such as heirloom tomatoes, tofu, anchovies, applewood-smoked bacon and candied walnuts. The variations on theme are near unbounded.

I liked the tuna nicoise, one of the "signature salads" ($9.95). The sashimi-quality ahi tuna was crusted with a peppery, almost wasabi-like paste, not too hot, but just enough to leave a kiss on the lips. The salad was completed with green beans, pitted kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes and hard-boiled egg and glistened with a tangy lemon-tarragon vinaigrette. Sprout offers a dozen "signature salads" ranging from $6.25 to $10.95.

Size-wise, the so-called "small bites" are about what I would expect as a first course in most restaurants, except for the large-portioned chicken lettuce wraps ($7.95). Tender slices of chicken breast sat astride a stack of butter lettuce, trimmed to the perfect size for wrapping shredded carrot, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber, mint, peanuts and a heap of somen noodles (thin white Japanese-style noodles made from wheat flour). The accompanying tangy Thai dipping sauce united the wrap.

While I enjoyed the wraps, I made a mess trying to envelop the ingredients inside an uncooperative lettuce leaf. I haven't played enough video games to have mastered that kind of manual dexterity. I ended up mixing the ingredients and eating it as a salad. It was delicious nonetheless.

Another small bite was deep-fried calamari ($7.95). Tender and fresh-tasting, the calamari were presented with the same tasty Thai dipping sauce but served in a conical frame, all the rage in many restaurants today.

On special one day was roasted butternut squash soup ($4.95). It was autumnal gold, velvety thick and aromatic. The dollop of creme fraiche and a squiggle of cayenne pepper on top added a piquant richness.

Healthful-sounding sandwiches are available as well: eggplant, turkey, shrimp, chipotle chicken and others. There are beer and wine, and a plethora of juices and organic coffee options.

This is the best place around for a DIY salad. The lunch rush can be a bit maddening, especially if your date or lunch buddy orders something from the menu and you get a salad. But the salad bar has a variety of fresh ingredients and a plethora of dressings which is hard to pass up once you find your perfect combination. I usually make my own, however the specialty salads on the menu are good for mixing it up once in awhile, too.

The sandwiches are great and the spring rolls make a perfect snack with the Chicken Noodle Soup. Overall, this the best place to get a satiating lunch without falling into a food coma back at the office.