When Bob Dylan mournfully crooned about the Times A-Changin’ in 1964 he would have scarcely imagined that a mere 56 years later the “Times” would include a pandemic, a social and cultural revolution, and powerful hunger – which never did go away, come to think of it.

Since family get-togethers around a 20-lb. turkey are a potential mine field these days, what better time to delay that tradition and still enjoy a nice turkey dinner with friends – virtually?

The experience is being offered by Gobble Doggs – a tasty turkey hot dog business that has been in operation in Chicago since 2012. Let’s say you are on the fence about the annual visit with aging parents and relatives in an environment today that can literally be as dangerous as a quick game of Russian roulette with the people you care about most in the world.

Gobble Doggs can create a virtual party package for you that allows a host to create an online ZOOM with friends and relatives that will have all the ingredients needed to do a fun, online demonstration of putting all the components together for a memorable meal.

Here’s how it works: a Gobble Doggs representative will provide step-by-step instructions to your virtual guests to create some of the best Gobble Doggs creations (ask about the Thanksgiving Gobble Dogg, with turkey stuffing, turkey gravy, and craisins). Plus, a few games and lots of laughs are thrown in. You can arrange for food drop-offs to your guests through Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub — or have deliveries made by Gobble Doggs (from DeKalb to the Indiana border to the Wisconsin border).

“People have had to adjust to lots of different ways of doing things,” said Gobble Doggs owner Annah Mitchell. “The longer we do it, the more normal it becomes – with things like ZOOM cocktail hours with friends and so on. I like the idea of helping people connect and share some good food and laughs while keeping safe.”

One of my Thanksgiving movies is “Broadway Danny Rose” in which talent manager Woody Allen gathers the folks in the acts he books for frozen turkey Thanksgiving dinners. The camaraderie is sweet and endearing:

Guaranteed, Gobble Doggs food is better.

Their Chicago Style hot dog is fantastic. It has everything you need, including yellow mustard, onions, green pickle relish, sport peppers, tomato wedges, spear pickle, and a dash of celery salt. Plus, you get a dog that is a bit healthier than your average 7-11 Big Bite.

I know that most people will not be dissuaded from their traditional, relative-heavy, belt-loosening Thanksgiving feast, even as the promise of a Covid-19 vaccination is within view. To them, I offer my best wishes for a healthy and happy gathering.

But for those looking for a different way to have turkey and invite friends to share in the meal, Gobble Doggs is out there. They can be contacted at: (331) 234-1280 or by email at [email protected].