Here's the trouble with the holidays: indulging in too many homemade, holiday treats — latkes, gelt, pecan pie, eggnog and the like — often results in no longer looking so svelte in the lovely argyle sweater Santa or the Hanukkah Armadillo brought for you. And you know, eating healthy isn't so bad. What with Pink Berry, Tasti, the numerous sushi joints and the other healthy options Broadway offers, sticking to pretty healthy diet can be pretty easy for those who care to. What's not so easy, however, is maintaining a healthy-ish diet while maintaining a moderate-ish budget.

On this chilly November night, the guys at Westside thought to keep the outdoor produce warm with flannel blankets! The picture above documents their attempts to keep their asparagus and grapes relatively happy, if not frozen!

After saving so much cash earlier today, Bwog thought to splurge a little. To reward ourselves after a rigorous day of studying, Bwog was in the mood for something warm and hearty. Unfortunately Casa Fiesta refried beans didn't cut it. A second trip to Westside, however, yielded the makings of a gourmet dinner. If you're lucky and have extra time on your hands tomorrow night, Bwog suggests making a Pork Chop with Pomegranate and Fennel Salsa for your Sunday supper.

Bwog Daily Editor Eliza Shapiro investigates the sonic background of Westside Market.

It is fun to dance when you are drunk. It is fun to eat food when you are drunk. It is fun to do both these things very late at night. Westside Market lets you do it all: it is a bastion of hope lighting your late-night walk uptown, offering you myriad kinds of fruits you didn't even know existed. Westside Market is not Morton Williams, and it is open when Koronet is not. Westside Market plays 70's classics on repeat. Yeah, Bwog loves Westside Market.

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the new Westside (yes, a mere 2 years ago everyone's favorite supermarket was vacant: in transition mode between old, grotty Westside and new, fancy Westside) is its loop of danceable 70's classics. At Westside, one is advised to remove their headphones and stock up on Chewy bars while basking in Carly Simon's glow. Certainly, some of these songs could be considered kind of awful (you WILL hear Elton John's "Crocodile Rock" every time you enter) but most of them are probably secretly your favorite song of all time (Jackson 5's "I Want You Back")

Westside manager Ian Joskowitz informed us that they play 97.8 FM on satellite loop (no commercials!) and explained simply that the playlist is "what I like." Its also, he added, "what kids from Columbia grew up listening to, or were forced to listen to by their parents." An employee at the salad bar chimed in "I love the music. Its beautiful." Joskowitz explained that Westside tried other music: 80's music, 90's pop hits, but none of it worked and customers complained. He boasted that he is "yet to have a complaint" about the current loop: "we get compliments all the time."

From now until 4pm, you can go to College Walk and EarthCo will exchange 10 plastic bags (bad for the environment) for 1 Westside Market tote bag (good for the environment). Seems like a good deal for you and the world! Also, from the EarthCo email:

The first 70 people will receive a new tote, but after that the rewards do not stop. All people who come after the bags have been distributed will be entered into a raffle to win a $20 Starbucks card, to help supplement their caffeine addiction that is flaring its ugly head during this fall's midterm season.

Caffeine and environmentalism? No way.

When last we left the great promises of Off Campus Flex, we were bemoaning its demise and then celebrating its resurrection. But now, as part of a long list Housing and Dining improvements (which include a mini-Mill Korean at Carleton Lounge in Mudd, faux-vitamin water in John Jay, a taco bar in Ferris Booth, and churros and $9.99 cases of water in JJ's), there is a new list of locations that currently and will soon accept flex. Nussbaum, Fairway, Westside and University Hardware and Houseware currently offer the option, while Chipotle, CampusFood, Amir's, The Heights, Samad's and Camille's will be up and running sometime this summer. Once school restarts, however, the original Mill Korean and Community Food and Juice will join the flex-wielding ranks. And if you need further excuse to discuss collegiate gourmet, Housing and Dining created a Facebook group just for you!

-JJV

Tipster Josh Mathew informs Bwog that Westside Market "will soon be using only biodegradable plastic bags and that customers will also have the option of purchasing reusable bags for 99 cents." An environmentally-sound way to transport your fresh, delicious, and fairly-priced groceries from 110th to your dorm. How lovely.

Meanwhile, what say you, Morton Williams? Your convenience can only blind us from your mediocrity for so long. And then perhaps a time will come when we will be consistently motivated to walk the extra six blocks to Westside Market. The winds of change are blowing south.

Bwog is totes jealous of this tipster, who recently discovered another reason why Westside is superior to Morton Williams:

"Yesterday, I went shopping at West Side Market. Apparently, if you buy a certain amount of stuff, you get a free WestSide tote/grocery bag. There are signs at each register encouraging you to use these bags instead of their plastic bags to reduce waste. But then instead of appropriately reducing waste by putting my groceries in that tote bag, the cashier put all my food in plastic bags. Then she put my tote bag in another bag and handed it to me. Truly visionary environmentalism."

It's moment you've all been waiting for [insert bombastic drum roll] because this spring all of you baby-blue donning lions and lionesses will be able swipe your parents' money away in a smorgasbord of local vendors. Because The Powers That Be want to test run the program before they expand to "any/all interested vendors" in Morningside, they asked we the people to vote for the places that we visited most. And because all of the award shows are being canceled, Bwog will be giving out the 1st Annual Roaree Awards to the vendors winners of the survey. Results after the jump.

Westside Market! Your adorable Powerpoint presentation that's playing on loop above the salad station has left Bwog smitten. You don't need to convince us of your charms, that fresh fruit bar is enough.

Kisses Forever,

Bwog