Out on the Town Thursday

If you know me at all, you will know that I am not shy about many things. I am especially fond of sharing good things i've had to eat lately, or food that has caught my attention, so to start out this edition of Out on the Town Thursday, I will begin with highlighting one of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham:

Rojo.

If you are a fan of DELICIOUS, GREASY, and INEXPENSIVE mexican food (and overusing caps lock, too, YES!), patios lit with cute lights (of COURSE) and enclosed during the cold months (How thoughtful!), then you will absolutely eat up (pun INTENDED!) the wonderfulness that is Rojo on Highland. One of my favorite things about Rojo is the location, close to downtown in a great neighborhood that has kept much of its original, vintage charm. Everything around it is dense, green and luscious (minus perhaps the laundromat next door), and I do recommend the mini-chicken nachos. Sour Cream, please, and no tomatoes.

Also, if you go for the name dropping sort of thing (You do? Well here I go!) Bob Dylan gave Rojo a shout out recently during a satellite radio interview, although I think he was praising the bar vs the food- but i'll use the compliment either way! Article found here. Also, in what could possibly be my favorite attribute of any restaurant- you can have a meal for $10 or less, and walk out with your very own styrofoam cup. Nothing says small victory quite like getting that extra diet coke for the road. (Am I the only one who gets giddy over to-go cups? Keith thinks i'm crazy.)

But dinner is really only half of my "out on the town" equation, folks. After a yummy supper at Rojo (or lunch, or brunch...i'll let the people decide), head on up to this next favorite locale of mine...

Vulcan Park

Now, as a Southeast Alabama native, the Vulcan statue was always a thing of mystery to me. Growing up, coming to Birmingham was an over 3 hour adventure that usually included a church bus, a quick trip to the galleria, and not much else. I had read about the statue in my snazzy Alabama History book in 4th grade, but had never actually been to visit it until I moved to the 'Ham myself.

If you're curious about the history and et cetera of this statue, I urge you to refer to the website linked above (or if you still have it, your own snazzy copy of the Alabama History textbook), as I am not your historian. I do know good views when I see em' though, and at night, especially- you just can't beat it!