OvenBird topped the list when Travel & Leisure magazine writer Jennifer V. Cole cruised into town under the radar last month. She was on a mission to find the very best places in the city to eat, drink and be merry. OvenBird was her top restaurant choice, where she feasted on octopus and squid with chorizo, fennel and orange. Then it was on to Carrigan’s Public House for a Black Sails cocktail, a drink made from local craft brew and gin with ginger ale. (Could be an acquired taste.) Open Shop, part clothing store, art gallery and music venue, was her choice for a cultural hub. The music at Saturn, a recently opened space-themed venue, struck her fancy, as did Red Mountain Park for outdoor activities. Her choice for lodging was the aforementioned Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/birmingham-trip-ideas