Ahhh, it’s that time again. I know I say it just about every year, but I cannot believe the holiday season has arrived so quickly. It seems like just a few days ago we were shooting the summer’s hottest swimsuits and eating lobster rolls down at the marina. The hot days and even steamier nights will be back again before we know it, but in the meantime let’s try to endure (err…enjoy) another New England winter.

In this issue we decided to ease the stress of holiday shopping by offering you over 30 of our favorite gift ideas for everyone on your list. Yes, some of our ideas are a bit out of our budget, but hey, we can all dream. If it’s your turn to do the hosting this Christmas, take a look at our recipe section, where eight of the city’s most talked about chefs shared childhood recipes that will have your guests begging for more.

We visited Towne Stove and Spirits and Caffe Nuovo – two of Boston’s newest restaurants – and were blown away by everything from the décor (sleek and modern at the North End’s Caffe Nuovo, and over-the-top extravagant at Towne) to the diverse and delicious menus. I cannot wait to revisit both of these spots in the summer, when giant open-air windows and roof deck seating will be in full effect.

Our fashion feature brought us to one of the greatest gems in the city, the magical Wang Theatre, where we showcased the season’s most elegant dresses and jewels in a setting fit for a king. I am also especially excited about the cover of this issue. We brought back Scene Magazine’s original cover model, Devon Diep, to grace the cover once again, and she still looks just as amazing as she did back in 2003.