Up until very recently, it felt like we had figured out how to stay safe while getting back to our normal lives, including eating out in restaurants. But chilly temperatures, a massive new COVID-19 surge and the super contagious omicron variant have changed that.

One person who can’t stay home and cook is Nikki Buchanan, restaurant critic for Phoenix magazine.

The Show spoke with her to learn about what it looks like out there at the moment, and how she’s navigating the dining waters to try to stay safe.

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