Bradley's Old Fashioned Weblog

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  • Clarke’s Standard (replaced goodburger at Union Square)

    It was with great regret that my wife and I saw that goodburger at Union Square had closed. We used to eat there frequently because the food was good, fairly quick, and it was convenient. It was somewhere between McDonald’s and Wendy’s, which was too junky, and a sit-down, pricey restaurant. Not that it wasn’t a little on the pricey side, but it filled a need we had.  I guess not enough people needed a good burger at that price, though, so one day we went there for dinner and found the place boarded up.

    Interior of Clarke's Standard at Union Square
    Interior of Clarke’s Standard at Union Square

    About two weeks ago, we were shopping at Petco and I decided to go around the corner and see if anything had replaced goodburger yet, and we saw that Clarke’s Standard was open. A new burger joint. We decided to try the place out, hoping it would be our new goodburger. Unfortunately, this place is not going to fit the bill.

    Clarke's Standard Menu
    Clarke’s Standard Menu
    Brooklyn Au Poivre, Honey Mustard BBQ Grilled Sandwich, French Fries, Sweet Waffle Potato Fries
    Brooklyn Au Poivre, Honey Mustard BBQ Grilled Sandwich, French Fries, Sweet Waffle Potato Fries

    The biggest problem we had was that the sauces used on the burgers are either made with mayo or ketchup (or something with a very similar taste to ketchup) that we didn’t care for. If you want a burger without mayo or ketchup here, you lose most of the flavor of the specialty burger. Besides that, the sauces are very runny and soak into the bun, making them mushy and sloppy. Some people may like their buns saucy and squishy, but I like my buns firm.

    I had the Brooklyn Au Poivre. Besides my sauce and bun problem, I found the meat to not have any real taste to it. It seemed to be too wet and slightly undercooked on top of that. It didn’t have a grilled or “real” flavor to it. My wife said the honey mustard BBQ grilled chicken sandwich was good, but the flavor was drowned by the ketchup, which was leaking out of the bottom of the sandwich in gobs.

    The only redeeming things about our meal were the French fries and sweet potato waffle fries. They were both outstanding, but they aren’t enough to bring us back for more.

    Huge roach on the floor at Clarke's Standard
    Huge roach on the floor at Clarke’s Standard
    Huge roach on the floor at Clarke's Standard
    Huge roach on the floor at Clarke’s Standard

    Finding this giant roach on the floor under our table (waiting for leftovers?) after we finished eating finished killing our meal experience. Honestly, the price isn’t that much different than goodburger and the quality and variety of the sandwiches isn’t that impressive. We won’t be going back. There are plenty of other restaurants in the area. We’ll just have to walk a bit further to get to them.

  • “Oh, were you busy?”


    “Studying is suspended until after you pay attention to me.”

  • The Encyclopaedia Judaica Dustica – Physical Copy

    Last week, I had to do some research in a group for the last assignment for a course I’m taking this semester called “Jesus the Jew.” We spent the semester studying Jesus in the Jewish context he was born in, including society, government, religion, and politics. We also looked at the gospel narratives and examined what they said about Jesus, who the authors were, how they differed in their views of Jesus and talked about what that means in terms of early Christianity. It was all very fascinating and I’ll probably post some of my research here later, but for now I wanted to share this picture:

    IMG_3185

    This is a photo of a few volumes of the Encylopaedia Judaica from the City College of New York library. The dust on top was at least a quarter-inch thick. I can’t imagine anyone has opened these things in at least 10 years. The E.J. is available online in full as a free resource because it was originally published around 1916 (I think). The only reason we got physical copies was because we couldn’t connect to the school’s wifi. Not surprising. The school has been getting its internet system upgraded but I’ll probably get my MA before they finish that project.

  • Late Last Night, after the Snow Turned to Rain

    Late Last Night, after the Snow Turned to Rain

  • End of the Semester

    Every time the end of the semester starts coming up, I say to myself that I’m going to try to get ahead of things and not get bogged down with work during the last week or two and every time I seem to fail. I have two language finals next week; one on Monday and one on Wednesday. Then I have a 15 page paper due on the following Monday that requires me to read four books. Let’s just say that I’m not on schedule with the reading. Going to be a lot of long days this week.

  • Snow Day



    Snowy street in Washington Heights earlier today.

  • My dog Gummy Bear in a Jacket and Boots

    My dog Gummy Bear in a Jacket and Boots

    Well, actually he’s my wife’s dog. When he goes out wearing these boots, everyone stops to comment, especially the ladies.

    Unfortunately, they don’t always keep his feet warm. They get wet when he walks in the snow, so they’re more cold weather boots than snow boots. I’ll have to look for another solution for snowy days.

     

  • Spaceship for Sale

    Spaceship for SaleA little late to be posting this, but perhaps he has an extra?

  • November 2013 Loot Crate

    November 2013 Loot Crate Contents
    November 2013 Loot Crate Contents

    The contents of this month’s Loot Crate are nice but I guess I’m not too excited about them because I’m not that into Batman or Doctor Who. I always preferred X-Men comics and I just recently decided to actually have a look at Doctor Who. Maybe it’ll be cool. I haven’t decided yet.

    The breakfast drink is nice, though. It’s something I can actually use. I checked the nutrition information and it is comparable to a Slim Fast. It’s 180 calories in a small bottle so you can drink your breakfast on the go.

    I also like the shot glass and the playing cards. I’m not sure I’ll ever use the South Park speaker, because when I’m out I use headphones. I don’t think everyone around me should have to listen to my music. When I’m home I use my big speakers. I’ll probably hang-on to the Doctor Who balloon for a few months and then throw it in the trash. The wallet I think I’ll send to my nephew.

    Next month will probably be better.

    Robocycle Bicycle playing cards, face cards.
    Robocycle Bicycle playing cards, face cards.

  • Happy Chanukah!

    A Hanukkah poster hanging in the lobby of my mother's apartment building.
    A Hanukkah poster hanging in the lobby of my mother’s apartment building.

    This is a bit delayed, it being the fourth night of Chanukah, but better late than never!

    I saw this poster hanging in the lobby of my mother’s apartment building when we went to visit her for Thanksgiving. I wasn’t aware there were enough Jewish tenants living there for the management to recognize the holiday. Maybe they put up signs for every major religious holiday? Regardless, it was very well done and a nice gesture.

    Chanukah is a commemoration of the reconquest of Jerusalem by the Maccabees and the rededication of the Temple to God. The oil they had available to light the menorah in the Temple was only enough for one day, but they lit it anyway, while they got to work making more, which was an eight-day process of pressing and purifying. According to tradition, the oil vessel miraculously refilled itself every night allowing them to keep the menorah burning for all eight nights. That’s why Jews today light a menorah each night of the holiday, in commemoration of not just the rededication but the miracle of the oil.