No French-style starter-main-dessert. Grace Hopper's day revolves around three places: the percolator (black coffee at all hours), the lab cafeteria counter (the "blue plate special" served on a single plate, quickly downed between calculations), and the Navy mess (hearty, economical dishes designed to feed many quickly). "Festive" meals bring out colorful molded salads and buffets, the pride of postwar American hospitality.

The common thread throughout Hopper's cuisine: black coffee, strong, endlessly refilled, accompanying both the midday sandwich and late-night debugging sessions. On the pantry side, the signature of the era is preserved food (dried beef, gelatin, canned goods) — a legacy of rationing and military mess.