From the Editor

I like vodka, I like dancing, and I like music. But the combination of all three in nerve-shattering superabundance sets me reeling. Plus, if I’m going to find myself rubbing up against a drunk and sweaty stranger on a dance floor, he’d better look like Daniel Craig and move like Hugh Jackman... Read

Features:

Winter Escapes
Whether you want to hide out on the slopes in a Colorado ranch town, savor the high-desert air of Taos, or see why Tahoe rules, your guide is right here. PLUS: Explore the local mountains, chill out in Death Valley, and see a whole different Grand Canyon

Maximum Steve
By Dave Gardetta
Club impresario Steve Edelson has a genius for making deals. But it’s his knack for angering city officials that may be his greatest claim to fame

WEB EXTRA: Read a Q&A with Dave Gardetta about "Maximum Steve"

The Eagle Has Landed
By Ann Herold
A Boeing 747 lends its wings (and fuselage) to a Santa Monica Mountains home, artfully decorated by its owner

WEB EXTRA: See time lapse video from our photo shoot at the Wing House

Eyes on the Ball
By Ann Herold
Club volleyball is hugely popular with Southern California girls, who love the mix of femininity and power. They think the uniforms are cute, too

WEB EXTRA: Read a Q&A with Ann Herold about "Eyes on the Ball"

(Buzz)

CityThink
Taking the Santa Anas seriously. Plus: Where to find Jesus

L.A. Archetype
A club “kid” on dancing the night away

Ask Chris
Chris Nichols rings a few bells

L.A. Story
Ang Lee on the differences between L.A.’s east and west sides

The Seen
All the parties fit to crash

How L.A. Works
Disney Hall’s organ sounds off

(Shop)

Holiday Gift Guide
If your list is long but you’ve run short on inspiration, check out our picks of haute housewares, snazzy clothing, limited-edition handbags, swank toys, stunning baubles, and more. We’ve kept budgets in mind, whether you’re counting pennies or going for broke

(Eat)

Small Bites
One-pan meal: why Spain’s ultimate sharing dish, paella, is on the rise; finally a whiskey for locavores; Joel Stein challenges the surge of Top Chef foodies; going bonkers for baklava at a Turkish bakery; taking a bite out of the gingerbread housing boom; Lou Amdur on a Roussanne gone wild Plus: Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay tackles mall food, and reviews of new restaurants Mess Hall, Smoke, and Le Ka

The Dine Review
Spago, the city’s most famous high-end restaurant, has reopened after renovating the dining room and rethinking the menu. Patric Kuh answers the question: Does Wolfgang Puck still have the touch?

(Do)

Culture Files
Puppeteer Bob Baker still pulls strings; the Wainwright clan sings together; playwright Jon Robin Baitz comes home for the holidays

Best of LA
Bright lights, big houses: the showiest displays of the season

Street Smart
Stepping back in time on Long Beach’s Retro Row

The Guide
30 things to do this month, from a Hanukkah happening to a seaworthy New Year’s Eve

(Columns)

Film
By Steve Erickson
There’s no portrayal of Lincoln like that of Daniel Day-Lewis

Open City
By Anne Taylor Fleming
Now that her husband is gone, she needs his caretaker more than ever

Business
By Mark Lacter
Why L.A. is hot stuff for Chinese investors

Speak Easy
By Amy Wallace
Nashville creator Callie Khouri gets a little bit country

Media
By Gabriel Kahn
The tussle that pushed Madeleine Brand to leave KPCC