Romance Is In (Our Pages) Let’s be honest for a minute. February is the most unpleasant month of the year, like the Grinch of the Gregorian calendar: cold, unattractive and—given winter’s penchant for getting its proverbial money’s worth before it wanes—unpredictable enough to spoil anyone’s plans with a Nor’easter. Even the word February (said to derive from an old- Italian god, Februus, or from februa, meaning Roman festivals of purification) scrapes off the tongue like a cheese grater. In this issue, we’re pushing back against all of that. Inspired by the fact that Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, we offer opportunities for romance in ways that just can’t happen on most other days of the week. While we can’t, strictly speaking, spin our “40 Under 40” feature as part of the romance package, it’s safe to assume that the folks in this year’s class of young, high-achieving Connecticut residents will be making Cupid’s legacy as special as they make every other day. Our “flames of passion” come in many varieties, including a feature on celebrity chef Robert Irvine, the star of an event coming to Hartford this spring—Savor, A Celebration of Wine, Food & Spirits. His passion is helping military families through philanthropic efforts. And love will certainly be in the air on the eve of Valentine’s Day when Audra McDonald, the acclaimed Broadway star, performs at UConn. But those stories are mere appetizers for our main courses. In one we offer inspiration for great dates that take place in different ways and in different parts of the state, with all of them including suggestions for overnight stays (to keep the romance going, given how the February calendar makes extending Valentine’s Day a natural). Take our advice and you’ll enjoy great art, shopping and dining in New Haven, for example, or a brisk old-fashioned sleigh ride through the Connecticut countryside, or a more urbane experience that wraps in enjoying the Big Apple from a scenic and convenient base on the water in Greenwich. For those who want a special experience that’s not so ambitious, our dining section glows with a story on restaurants where you can enjoy the state’s best fireside dining. There are more than you might think, and wherever you live, at least one within easy driving distance. Even something as powerful as love needs to be balanced by variety, so also look for our feature that is seemingly the antithesis of romance—the clandestine wedding of famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart in Noank. There are also stories on a groundbreaking treatment for addiction (too much love?), the growing aerial drone issue and one of the biggest financial scandals of the 20th century. Happy reading by the fire, and enjoy the discoveries you make with our help! Ray Bendici rbendici@connecticutmag.com Douglas P. Clement dclement@connecticutmag.com