New York City’s vaccine mandate in restaurants. I support it.

It’s no secret that Masjib Mania hasn’t been the most active since the start of COVID-19. One thing that has kept me busy since my last update was my move from Connecticut to New York City. I hope that 2022 will enable me to resume food blogging with more regularity, especially now that I live in a location known worldwide for its variety of quality restaurants. Recently, however, NYC has implemented a regulation that will have a unique impact on the restaurant industry: a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. I wholeheartedly support it. Here’s why.Read More »

J.J. Hapgood General Store and Eatery (Peru, Vermont, U.S.A.)

No, this blog is not dead! As I was doing work for Mieum Media’s video series interseCTion, I was far busier than before, but I am still visiting all sorts of tasty places. In November 2018, right before the midterm election, I went on a trip to my friends’ cabin in Vermont with my significant other. The owners of the cabin gave us some great recommendations. On November 5, we tried out J.J. Hapgood General Store and Eatery in Peru, Vermont.Read More »

Waffles INCaffeinated (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.)

When I told friends and family my significant other and I were going to take a road trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I got mixed reactions. People told me with surprising frankness that they thought of Pittsburgh as nothing more than a dirty steel-producing city without much to do. Having returned from our trip, we can attest that this is not the case! We found ourselves wishing we had more time to explore museums, visit more parks, and enjoy the pleasant vibe of the city. Along the way, we also got to stop at Waffles INCaffeinated, a local breakfast joint, on August 28.Read More »

Liv’s Oyster Bar (Old Saybrook, Connecticut, U.S.A.)

It is hard to believe that, until today, I have not covered any seafood on Masjib Mania. Yes, I know that I reviewed the white clam pizza from Pepe’s in New Haven, but I was really referring to dedicated seafood restaurants. Living on the Connecticut shoreline means that there are more restaurants serving fresh seafood than I can even keep straight. To celebrate my parents’ anniversary, we visited Liv’s Oyster Bar in Old Saybrook on September 7.Read More »

Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers (Oakland, California, U.S.A.)

There are a lot of negative perceptions of the City of Oakland in California. Whenever I tell people that I’m here, they more often than not reply with some variation of “be careful.” While Oakland’s crime rates are undeniable, it’s not accurate or fair to let that define the entire city. I have enjoyed my time here, and I always encourage my friends to come to Oakland to see it for themselves. On July 22, I did just that, eating lunch at Barney’s Gourmet Burgers with a friend from out of town.Read More »

Bar Bouchée (Madison, CT, U.S.A.)

While French restaurants have a certain allure in popular culture, there aren’t actually that many of them in the United States. You can certainly find them, but given all of the praise that French cuisine receives, it has not achieved the ubiquity of Italian or Chinese cuisine. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had French food! On May 17, I went with my parents and my significant other to Bar Bouchée in Madison, Connecticut.Read More »