Baby, it’s Covid outside! With the Omicron variant running rampant, the number of people testing positive for the Covid virus has increased significantly these past few weeks.

For many, that means that long-awaited holiday plans to go out and celebrate or to visit loved ones might have to be postponed yet again. It is certainly regrettable, but, your Plan B doesn’t have to feel like one.

Recovering from Covid this past weekend, my husband and I were forced to cancel our date night plans for our health and the safety of others. We were, of course, disappointed to be stuck at home for the duration of the weekend (and beyond), but, as I was finally feeling better, we wanted the opportunity to enjoy a festive evening.

Cue the goodies we recently purchased from Gourmet Food Store. What the online store lacks in creativity, it makes up for in a large selection of treats from cheeses and charcuterie to caviar and candy and a lot of other yummy items.

Taking advantage of the store’s Thanksgiving weekend sale, I had stocked up on caviar, blini, Serrano ham, escargot and chocolates. Thus, we were nearly there with our delicious feast. We added some cheeses we already had in the fridge, drizzled on some high end Balsamic vinegar and, equally important, opened up a bottle of bubbly!

It was a wonderful evening of decadence as we sipped and savored the Champagne, connected with each other and simply enjoyed our gourmet goodies. Not so bad for Plan B!

Bruno Paillard Extra Brut Première Cuvée SRP $60, Champagne, France, $60
Aromas of bruised apple, toast and slight nuttiness greet the nose. There is a hint of fruit on the attack, but it is generally dry on the palate with crisp acidity, a creamy mousse and persistent perlage, culminating in very long length.