By LANIER LANEY
BEAUFORT TODAY GOSSIP COLUMNIST

I’ve found it amazing that in Beaufort, as the seasons change, so do the faces in the whole town. Suddenly “the snowbirds” or winter residents start to flock back to town and a whole new social season starts to heat up.

So welcome back everybody!

The social venues also are changing hands as I’ve heard Scott and Gwen Myers have bought Bateaux and are bringing in renowned four-star chef Michael Gottlieb from Savannah. We will miss Richard Wilson and his lovely wife, Peggy, who have done such a great job there as owners and wish them the best in all they do. The restaurant reopens Friday, Oct. 10, for those of you who want to be the first to sample the new menu. (I got a sneak peek and it looks mouthwateringly yummy!)

Susan Mason another famous Savannah resident will be in town this week lunching with her good friend Laura Baker (and moi) at Wine and Gourmet.

For those of you who might not know, Sue is Savannah’s best caterer and is really a legend in the Lowcountry. Remember when J Lo and Ben Affleck owned that big plantation outside Savannah? Well Sue catered everything for them and I’m looking forward to getting the inside scoop. (I promise I'll report back to you!).

Sue’s book, “Silver Service: Elegant Savannah Cuisine,” came out this summer and has really turned out to be one of my favorites (i.e. - I have actually used it several times! to great success). Her book has helped me break my bad habit of buying coffee-table-style cookbooks, putting them on the shelf and never opening them again, I'm sorry to say, except to look at the pictures and then rush off to LT’s or Wendy’s because who has time anyway? Sue’s recipes are refreshingly simple and delicious.

Fall is really the big social season in Beaufort and once the oyster roasts start happening, it is nonstop almost every weekend until Jan. 3.

I’m going to do my homework and try and get you a list of upcoming charity benefits and balls in next week’s column so you can start planning your own fall social calendar now.

In fact, you can even help me out by e-mailing info on your big event.

Until we get Lanier his own e-mail address, which will be soon, send event information to Beaufort Today co-editor Richard Brooks at richard.brooks@beauforttoday.com