Our campus' only horsechestnut grows in front of Philosophy.

More facts and photos after the jump.

Normally, Bwog sticks to free food, but we thought we'd make one cute exception: the Girl Scouts will be selling their famous cookies on Lerner Ramps starting at 4:00 p.m. They'll be selling all of the most well-known flavors, including Thin Mints, Samoas, and Tagalongs. No word on how many boxes the troops will have, but we're sure they'll be delicious.

Spring is in the air and lovers are marrying on the steps today. Or, at least, pretending to. Hangama, the annual Pakistani mock wedding, will be on the steps today from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. They're already setting up, although no one has yet spotted the majestic white horse that will ride through the gates.

The Chicken and Rice cart (officially "The Halal Guys"), however, is almost done setting up. The famed questionable combination will be on the steps this evening. It's not free, but one tipster associated with the event says the food will be available at a "reduced price."

And while you're gorging yourselves, enjoy performances by Bhangra, Taal, Dhoom, and Raas. It'll be a good show, so enjoy the mild weather and last bit of freedom before the dash to finals.

Photo by AB

The one redeeming facet of new-new-Facebook is the highlights bar, which today painted the picture of a campus overflowing with food.

For breakfast, head over to the Casa Latina for a pancake brunch. It's $2 for all-you-can-eat pancakes, benefiting the Lucha Community Health Fair next week. 12-2 PM @ EC TH 504.

Head over to the McBain lounge right after that to nab a sandwich for dinner. Subway (remember them from home?) is sponsoring a SEAS 2011 study break. There's a free Yankees tickets giveaway (helpfully repeated four times) and little motive for the festivities apart from the launch of a new ESC 2011 website. 1-3PM @ McBain Lounge.

Return to the scene of the grime at 8 for a free "curiosity" ice cream social. The CU "T-Mobile Brand Ambassadors" and the Students for Substance-Free Space will be hosting with "tons" of flavors and toppings for the "ultimate sundae." They're giving away a free T-Mobile G1 phone (that's the Google Android phone) at the end of the night and the person with the most phone-related spirit (spirit-making supplies provided) will win "some cash." Maybe they'll return the two dollars you spent on pancakes. 8-9:30 PM @ McBain Lounge.

And if you're the kind of person who likes "free" food over "free food," head over to the KSA Culture show in Roone tonight for "free" Korean food, provided you purchase the $15 ticket. 8:00 PM @ Roone Arledge Auditorium.

A concerned discount fancier has informed Bwog that Milano Market, Broadway's finest supplier of Italian cheeses and window bread porn, is no longer offering buy-ten-get-one-free cards. Apparently it was a managerial decision, one that Hamilton Deli will hopefully never ever ever make.

But don't think of it as all bad. Yes, you're losing a free sub or salad, but you're gaining the peace of mind that comes with not having to worry about another damn card in your wallet. The recession: relieving stress every day.

With all the other restaurant switching going on, several commenters have asked about Haakon's Hall, which was supposed to replaced Radio Perfecto last fall (including free wifi). Today, though, Bwog Viking Establishment Correspondent James Downie investigated, and found a notice saying that the opening has been delayed until April.

Hang on, then, Valhalla aspirants - your cuisine will be here soon.

Image via gather.com

Bwog Top Chef and Radiation Expert Jon Hill sauntered through Cafe 212 this morning to discover a new menu item: Stouffer's!

No longer do you have to walk all the way to MoWi for your microwavable lasagna. Cafe 212 will buy it, microwave it, and serve it to you, all for the low, low price of $6.95.

Mathematical wizards behind the scenes note that this is 43% more expensive than a grocery store if you consider raw ingredients alone, but around 90% cheaper if you include the cost of buying a microwave.

If that's too expensive for your recession-drained budget, consider the following free food options. CQA and Club Zamana are hosting a live Oscar viewing party in Roone tonight at 8:00 PM and there will be snacks abound.

If, after an hour of watching what seems like an endless loop of applause and bad music, you tire, consider Community Impact's "Blue Bash Study Break" in Carman tonight at 9:00 PM. Its "blue snacks" are for freshmen only, but you're clever enough to sneak in. Show your CI spirit and win stuff. We presume wearing your favorite CSI tshirt and covering up the "S" will suffice.

Look out, sea turtles: scores of purple balloons are dotting campus to advertise tonight's Lunar Gala in Lerner.

The airway-obstructing rubber orbs, scattered about like eggs from Alien, are inviting the curiosity of students, and those balloons that have not been popped (preferred method: a quick thrust of a mechanical pencil tip) bear the insignia of "Can't Stop Won't Stop," the theme selected by the Chinese Students Club for this year's Gala. Dinner, starting at 6 p.m., costs $10 (for $15 you can be a V.I.P.), and the "professional dance crew" Rhythmology begins their show at 7.

Whether you're planning on attending or not, at least stick your head out your window to watch all the purple bobbing on the (nearly) warm breeze. Spring is coming, soon, we promise.

Good news for everyone feeling the dearth of sit-down Japanese: Tomo, is set to defy death and open, as originally postulated, in Swish's old spot at 2955 Broadway "in the next two weeks," according to that lovably-unpronounceable foodie zeitgeist, the Zagat Survey.

The phones of both Tomo and Swish rang on ad infinitum, so Bwog can't confirm, and, therefore, is trying not to get its hopes up. Nevertheless, we can't help but wonder, could there be light at the end of this culinary tunnel?

For freshmen who may be well on their way to the freshman 15, Bwog Culinary Charter Jon Hill has created helpful charts on why to avoid Cafe 212.

You're welcome.

- Photo by MEQ

And Famiglia is once again without a neighbor. A few days ago, Bwogger Mariela Quintana noticed that Empanada Joe's had papered over their windows, but had left all of its furniture in place. At first, Bwog was unsure whether the store had departed or was merely remodeling.

However, tech-savvy Bwoggers noticed earlier today that the Morningside Heights location is no longer on the locations page, even though Google Cache shows it having been there in the past. It appears, then, that Empanada Joe's has joined the growing list of culinary casualties in Morningside since the new semester began.

Judging from the comments on our review, though, there will be much rejoicing. And who knows - maybe its replacement will be something useful?

Bwog's Comestible Correspondent Julia Mix Barrington brings you some last minute ideas for Valentine's Day.

So you've managed to wrangle yourself a hot date for tonight, and, naturally, you're longing to gaze into his/her eyes over tasty food and decent wine. But you didn't plan ahead, and you have no idea where to do this wining, dining and gazing!

There are, no doubt, some of you who have been trying to remedy your lack of forethought by ambushing strangers in the Butler stacks to ask them for restaurant recs. Leave those poor people alone--the stacks are terrifying enough already--and rely on your trusty wing-blog for Valentine's Day restaurant suggestions!

Spending your parents' money just got a little harder.

Local greengrocer-cum-discotheque Westside Market has stopped accepting Off-Campus Flex for purchases made between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., the hours of the store's highest traffic volume.

The announcement this weekend came in the form of a delightfully terse sign posted at Westside registers (see right). Like Amir's and Samad's, problems at the heart of the Flex system appear to have forced Westside to curtail its use.

The long-term impact of the new "blackout dates" for Westside Flex aren't immediately clear, but if you're going shopping, bring more than your CUID next time or risk having a prix-free dinner of puffed rice cake shards and tiny jiggers of soup.

Looks like the dining options at Ferris Booth continue to change - Bwog tipsters report that the Ferris pizza station has been replaced with a burger grill!

Bwog's not sure yet whether it's only a lunch thing, but there are three options available - veggie, turkey, and regular - along with a variety of condiments. A Bwog daily editor also reports that they're "delicious." As a burger fan, Bwog wholeheartedly endorses the change.

Oh, and as for that rumor that John Jay no longer has takeout? Bwog's been told the dining hall was merely out of containers.

The violence in Gaza sparks tense but ultimately peaceful peace rallies. Everyone wants to converse, but nobody has yet.

Campo is to decamp to the space between Furnald and the Journalism Building.

But until then, you can decamp to our very own nearly-on-campus Greenmarket for produce. Even though it's winter.

And, of course, everyone's still excited and awed by our most notable Columbian who's working, oh, somewhere else for a while.