Update: We at Bwog have written something of a Campo eulogy, so pour out some crappy beer in honor of our dearly departed and remember what once was:
When a new restaurant called Campo first arrived in our humble Morningside Heights, we called it the “New Pertutti” and complained its Italian food was mediocre. Soon, though, it became a Friday night staple—at least when we were freshmen. It slowly adapted to Columbia culture, accepting flex, supporting its best customers, and even opening a new restaurant on campus! In return, we wrote a song about it, made it into a trading card, and brought our parents there. But the good times didn’t last. Campo was raided by the police, lost its beloved nightlife manager Campo Mike, and has now gone to that great big college town in the sky. Arrivederci, Campo. We may have forgotten every night we spent at you, but we will never forget you.

It’s the end of an era. Six months after Campo Mike left for “different opportunities,” taking Campo’s nightlife (and all your unfortunate freshman year decisions) with him, the restaurant will transform yet again.

Ryan Skeen, “the original pop-up chef” is moving into 2888 Broadway and setting up Il Cibreo. It aspires to be a “rustic Italian trattoria.” Victim of those aspirations, Campo will shut its doors after Sunday dinner, and Il Cibreo will open on Wednesday.

Anyways, Skeen’s sorta a hot shot, or at least source of some controversy. What’s the difference in these dark days?

Bottom line, if you’re still hungering for middling Italian fare, get to Campo by Sunday. After Wednesday, maybe (y)our big dreams of fancy Italian food will be realized. Full menu after the jump!

The rosy-fingered hand of Morningside Heights.

It’s actually Wednesday afternoon! Which now means that it’s Pizza Wednesday. That’s right, Boringside enthusiasts—Nussbaum’s deal formerly known as “Pizza Sunday/Monday” has become an everyday offer. Morningside heaves a collective sigh of contentment and not-as-broke-ment; weight gains ensue.

Aaaand speaking of eating, a tipster reports seeing a “hilarious number” of graduates, still swathed in gowns, dining with their families at our very own Campo. Which makes each of those graduates just about the most clothed person that has ever been at Campo, ever. Ever.

Last but not least, we have a Squirrel Man sighting for you folks at home! He too donned a robe this week as he walked about campus and used his hands to attract squirrels.

Boringside: because you don’t have anything better to do with your summer freedom.

Girl handwriting on a boy hand via Wikimedia Commons.

EC, Heights or... Eh, Mel's I guess

Friends, if you are debating where to go tonight, consider that this Saturday might be Campo’s last. After hearing rumors that Campo is going to be shut down, Bwog called the restaurant for comment. The gentleman who picked up the phone was emphatic that the restaurant isn’t going anywhere, but continued, “We are simply modifying our late night arrangements.”

It turns out that Michael Wetherbee, the man who coordinates Campo’s late night scene, is “moving on to different opportunities.” We also spoke to Rashad, another manager at Campo, who said that due to Mike’s absence, “We don’t have anyone to coordinate late night the way it has been.” This means that right now, they are unsure whether or not the college bar scene will die down completely in the future or if they will hire someone to pick up where Mike left off.

There will be a “last night hurrah” for Mike at the bar tonight, so go out there and make some memories!

Despite the rain, this sign was displayed prominently outside of Campo this evening, in order to coincide with the SGA Townhall meeting.

We hear Campo has been a real shitshow (always the fresh-person word of choice to describe anything) the last few nights. Explore your other options, limited as they may be, with bar trading cards, originally posted in last year’s Orientation Blue & White. Have fun post-gaming your Intrepid party! Illustrations by Stephen Davan. Click to enlarge.

Asenso Ampim, CC’11, has produced a song addressing the inevitable post-finals decision: “EC, Heights, or Campo?”

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Try not to let it get stuck in your head until after you finish that last exam. You can download the mp3 here.

Bwog’s resident food critic Kate Abrams took one for the team and ventured out to review the newly opened Brad Café at the Journalism School.

When I heard the people behind Campo were running the new Journalism School café, I had hope. After all these years of burying myself in the depths of Avery—as both an art history major condemned to researching non-circulating books and a girl hungry for those basement treats—I was ready for an alternative. Its appearance is certainly inviting. The tables flow from open-air seating to a covered alcove, encased within a surprisingly warm modern design. And then, further back, you are suddenly transported into what feels like a groovy family run café from the Pacific Northwest, with friendly people and a colorful chalk menu (complete with slogans like “Peace, Love and Subs” or “Make Salads Not War”).

The menu consists of about eight different types of sandwiches and salads, with the options to add or subtract what you like and to choose your own dressing. Both are freshly made to order, but the freshness of the ingredients is debatable. In addition, there is the usual array of potato chips and drinks as accompaniments, but also a few anomalies like milkshakes and a $2 hot dog.

Let’s start with the sandwiches. Read more…

Journalists and hippies alike may rejoice on this, the opening day of the Journalism School cafe. Nothing but the combination of news tickers on the wall, various 1960′s references on the menu, and cheaper-than-in-Starbucks Starbucks coffee could bring so many happy lunchers here on opening day.

After moving through a short, fast-moving line, Bwog was pleasantly surprised to hear that from below the headings “Make Salads Not War” and “Peace, Love, and Subs” came some pretty decent food, at least according to a gaggle of J-schoolers sitting on the sunlit terrace. Tasty though those $6.50 salads and $5 half-loaf subs may be, Bwog has to recommend the $2 hot dog to impoverished undergrads.

But even more important than the appearance of the cheapest substantial foodstuff to be had within the gates, the Journalism Cafe has some style. Airy and light, with a superb view across the lawns, the glass structure between stone walls is new-age in the best of ways. Though the cafe will only be open air while weather allows, once winter arrives the outside world will remain visible through a wall of pane glass, allowing light while keeping cold out. But, if Captain Obvious were with us today he might point out the most crucial aspect of this pleasant spot – no matter who owns and operates it, this is NOTHING like Campo.

More pictures after the jump. Read more…

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.

An Intrepid Bwog agent just discovered this sign outside of Campo:

Not sure where Campo is quoting Flex from, but mark your calendars, anyway. It may not be coming on campus, but this is the next best thing. 

Campo, the frat-friendly New Pertutti, has posted a rumor on its Facebook group — which evidently exists — that states the following piece of puzzling news:

“Campo On Campus”- Campo is opening a second, new restaurant, on Columbia University, between the Graduate School of Journalism and Furnhaldt Dorm. We’ll be offering warm sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries, great coffee and possibly wine and beer! Look for us in late January/early February!”

“Furnhaldt” is overpriced-Italian-restaurant-speak for “Furnald”, so that’s easy enough to figure out. But the area between Furnald and Journalism is currently occupied by a strange, Sims-like glass cube known as the Journalism Student Lounge. Bwog called up Campo to ask if there were any plans for expansion onto campus and were told that there were not.

The foodie blog SeriousEats has posed an interesting question: “Does Morningside Heights Finally Have A Good Contemporary Italian Restaurant?” It’s referring to Campo, which took the place of Pertutti, the now-defunct Parents Weekend hotspot with a reputation for sucking.

Anyway, SeriousEats calls the pizza crust “cardboard” and the service “sloppy but well-meaning,” which seems to answer the question posed by the post’s title. “The Columbia community is still in need of a really solid Italian restaurant. I actually think Campo has good intentions,” the blog concludes.

But Bwog’s own informal polling of students seems to indicate otherwise. The consensus was that yes, of course it’s too expensive, but still, the “outdoor seating is nice” and it’s “better than Pertutti” — which, well, it would almost have to be.

There was even an impassioned defense of the cardboard-y pizza! Still, one CC senior probably best summarized the Campo condition in saying, “Overpriced.  Mediocre food.  Perfect for Columbia students.”

In which Bwog correspondent CML alights from the stygian sauna that is Woodbridge Residence Hall to nestle himself between the facade of Cardomat and the awning of Oren’s Daily Roast, to document a picaresque evening of rare chess camaraderie.

When you think of chess, you think of bearded Slavs with vodka on their breath, sterile cafeterias filled with five year-olds waiting to go home and play Super Smash Bros., and Garry Kasparov, the Mike Gravel of Russia.  And when you think of chess in New York, what probably comes to mind are a few sepia-toned tableaux from ‘Searching for Bobby Fischer’ – bums in Washington Square, tyrannical tutors, kids developing scoliosis from hunching over a board for hours a day, and so on.  

But chess in Morningside Heights?  Read more…