Hampden Restaurant Review: Rocket to Venus

A piece exposing Rocket to Venus's greatness is long overdue and well-deserved. While The Baltimore Sun and other local publications still have yet to pick up on Hampden's rising star, my family is definitely very aware of, and thankful for, Rocket's innovative and plentiful offerings. Located near the corner of 34th St and Chestnut, Rocket to Venus is nestled among Hampden's row houses, rather than situated on the neighborhood's main stretch, alongside other great eateries, like Cafe Hon and Golden West Cafe. Perhaps the more obscure location has contributed to its relative obscurity. This same factor, however, allows the establishment to retain its retro-quirky feel, and to cater mainly to locals and regulars. It also keeps the lines down, and I have never once had to wait for a table.

Outside, bikers can park the motorcycles and head into the bar for a drink, or they can sit on the outside patio and socialize while they sit at umbrellad tables and take a smoke. Rocket to Venus is open seven days a week and serves lunch/ brunch starting at 12 pm Sundays. The bar has an ongoing trivia contest and Rocket to Venus also hosts other weekly events like movie nights and bingos. The clientele is as eclectic as the menu, and the wait staff is at once individual and uniformly clad in skinny jeans, dark monochromes and rock & roll t-shirts. They're hip and servers give off an air of edgy self-confidence, but do not make diners feel unwelcome or uncomfortable. Local art, available for purchase, adorns the walls and is rotated constantly.

Of course, as at all good restaurants, the food is the best part. Rocket serves slider-style hamburgers, called wimpies, and also offers tofu ("sloppy jo-fu") and falafel wimpies. Who else could make falafel so appealing that it would tempt my 13 year old brother to try it, and then become his "usual" order? In addition to creative naming, Rocket masters one of my favorite foods of all time; brussels sprouts. In fact, my mom has said that we are probably the "only family that fights over brussels sprouts," but if more families ordered the balsamic roasted sprouts from Rocket to Venus, I am sure that would not be the case. I could easily eat three or four servings of these vegetables, but have to refrain in order to sample some of the menu's other offerings.

My mom always seems to go for the Banh-Mi, a vietnamese sandwich complete with pate, pickled daikon, mint aioli, and veggies. My dad likes the Andouille, Shrimp & Grits, although he tries to mix it up each time we come to Rocket to Venus. To accompany my brussels sprouts, I usually order the Rocket to Venus house salad and either a half-pound of steamed shrimp (with Old Bay) or mussels in a white wine sauce. The cheese plates make great appetizers, and my parents rave about the wine selection. In fact, my father raves about everything. He loves the servers, the counterculture-esque vibe, the unconventionality of the diners, decor, and menu. It has fast become THE family restaurant, and is currently Hampden's best kept secret.

Rocket to Venus certainly finishes strong, offering the famous Dangerously Delicious pies, featured on Food Network, and baked, literally, down the street, on its simple but unique desert menu. To top this, one can order a deep-fried PB&J complete with a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream, as well as caramel and chocolate sauces. I've seen people share this, but to me, it's really more of a one-person kinda dish. Regardless, you will either not want to leave or come back the next day, which is sure to be a good omen for Rocket to Venus's entrepreneurial future, not that the owners care about that stuff. They're just in it for the fun. And the food.

Snoop Knows What's Up, Visits Ravens Training Camp

Recently, Cordazar Calvin Broadus, or Snoop Dogg, as the "in" know to call him, paid a visit to McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Now, one might ask, what exactly is Snoop doing in Maryland, not to mention in a town where tension still dominates interracial relations, and where Sarah Palin lovers, the angry, aggrieved white people, roam and dominate the area's demographics? None of that really embodies what Broadus is all about. Well, Cordazar was there for no other reason but to visit the Baltimore Ravens training camp, which runs daily on the McDaniel College campus. (That, and he happened to be performing with Slightly Stoopid at nearby Merriwether Post Pavillion, for the "Blazed and Confused" tour.)

But obviously Mr. Broadus was not all that confused because he knows his football. In fact, Snoop has picked numerous Super Bowl winners and expressed his interest in being an NFL coach. (If only the Ravens front office had known this when they didn't know if they could afford to replace Brian Billick...) He may be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but he kept that on the DL as he charmed the rough, tough Tonka's got the stuff defensive line, and the ever-composed Joe Flacco AKA "Joe Cool." He even joined the end of practice huddle and led the Ravens in their notorious "what time is it" cheer. Plus, Ray Lewis invited Snoop, and that means he can't be a bad guy. I mean come on; clearly Ray hangs with a very respectable crowd. But less on their guest visitor, and more on the team of rising talent that could well be in contention, once again, for a spot in the Super Bowl. (Such a conclusion to the season would be a fitting tribute to a number of men in the purple and black, because it would mean a homecoming of disproportional sorts. It seems that nearly half the team played for the 'Canes, and, in fact, Ray, Ed Reed, Willis McGahee, and the less publicized Tavares Gooden, all played there.)

The Baltimore Ravens look to be a defensive powerhouse once again. Countless scouts from NFL teams across the nation will be attending the Ravens' upcoming preseason game against Rex Ryan's Jets, in hopes of picking up some of the Ravens' rejects. If scouts are circling the skies above M&T Bank Stadium like vultures, hoping to dredge up some reject defenders for their own squads' starting positions, this has to say something about the astonishing pool of applicants who have shown up in Westminster this August. These hopefuls want to make the Ravens' final cuts and join the NFL's most notorious and bruising defense. In fact, the Ravens attract such fine defensive candidates, that their staff could easily be compared to the skilled admissions staffs at a handful of the country's most selective colleges and universities, who attract the nation's and the world's finest candidates for application each fall.

The Ravens also have promising rookies lining up on the other side of the ball, and second year offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has devised some interesting, albeit unconventional, plays to keep opposing defenses on their toes this fall. Last season, we saw passes by Troy Smith and receptions by Joe Flacco. Who knows what this season holds in store? Recently, the Ravens drilled on the Wildcat Offense. With Joe "Cool" Flacco back as a "veteran" quarterback, experts expect him to demonstrate even more maturity in the pocket. In their first preseason game, Flacco showed that he has committed to memory the saying "when in doubt, throw it out." Baltimore is hoping that his performance last season was not just beginner's luck, but rather the beginning of a hall of fame destined career. With tackle Michael Oher finally taking his place on the offensive line, hopefully Joe will be less pressured, and as a result throw fewer interceptions, than he did in the '08 season. Chris Carr, a cornerback, could turn out to be another of the Ravens' key acquisitions this season.

The Ravens will, of course, miss the surefooted Matt Stover, if they do not opt to bring him back. Lorenzo Neal, the big fullback who was so instrumental in the Ravens' 4th and inches situations last season, has also left the team. If Terrell Suggs continues to sit on the sidelines, this, too, will hurt the Ravens, as will the absence of experienced receiver Mark Clayton. The Ravens, however, have another receiver, Derrick Mason, who is even more experienced, and is ready to step up and be a team leader. Like Ray Lewis, he has taken on a roll as an emotional leader for the team as well. For the remainder of the season, Mason will practice wearing the No. 9 jersey, rather than his own 85, in order to commemorate the late Steve McNair, a quarterback who finished his great career here in Baltimore and was recently found shot to death. The key, however, to the Ravens offense will be its ground game, which began to develop late last season.

Willis McGahee looks to have had an attitude adjustment, and LeRon McClain, the fullback/RB has gotten in better shape. Hopefully, the Ravens will be able to capitalize off of his versatility and fitness in order to put some points on the board. Ray Rice, who had a number of carries in the preseason opener, looks to be maturing quickly and more dangerous than ever. It will be good to have Kelly Gregg back at nose tackle, and although Trevor Pryce had a disappointing season, the numerous linebackers scrambling for his starting position could prove good motivation. Ed Reed looks fresh. The key will be using veteran experience and leadership to instruct the newbies, allowing their fresh limbs to carry out The Godfathers' orders.

John Harbaugh has infused training camp sessions with visits from members of the United States Armed Forces. He does this, challenging his team to keep up with the world's most physically elite specimens. But he also does this to remind his men that football is not life and death, but rather a game, and that there are people out there who aren't playing games so that the Ravens can. Recently, as a group of USNA midshipmen, training to be US Marines, trotted onto the field at one Sunday afternoon practice, Cam Cameron called out "all hands on deck, all hands on deck!" John Harbaugh, evidently quite the comedian, added, "come on, guys, we need a few good men." The Ravens look to have a few good men, and perhaps more than a few, that could lead Baltimore back to Florida next February.