Rocket to Venus is Out of This World
By Carrie Oleynik
Originally published by Bmore Live, September 2007
Think Josie and the Pussycats travel to outer space with punk and indie rock favorites like the Exploding Hearts and John Lennon on the soundtrack. With a medium-sized menu ranging from Pierogies to Steak Fritte, Rocket to Venus of Hampden offers a "legendary" menu at an affordable price.
Walking into the hip, crowded, yet comfortable restaurant/bar located in the heart of Hampden, my dinner partners and I started out with a round of beverages. The soft drinks and draft beer (there is a selection of 11 domestics, 9 cans, 8 drafts, and 12 imports) were cold and well carbonated; the iced tea was a bit watery.
Bright green, fresh romaine leaves doused in an even amount of lemon, parmesan, and anchovy dressing coupled with perfectly seasoned salmon strips mixed well in the Caesar Salad with Salmon ($11). The five Pierogies ($5) were served golden brown in petite, rippled crispy pockets with a warm melted orange Asiago cheese filling and a small side portion of sour cream.
Four miniature browned veggie burgers or Wimpies ($7) were served on round plump buns with fried onions. Although a non-dairy version was ordered the dish offers an option of Swiss cheese and honey mustard sauce. Tofu mixed in a sweet and sour raisin-like sloppy Joe sauce added a spicy-hot aftertaste to the Sloppy Jo-fu ($6) overfilled in a large warm, toasted bun. The moist and well-salted Steak Fritte ($18) was cooked medium rare. Accompanying the Wimpies, Sloppy Jo-fu, and Steak Fritte were crisp, salty browned fries.
We ordered two desserts. The Moon Pie looked like a small confectionary UFO. Homemade and sprinkled with brown cinnamon, the chocolate-covered graham crackers brought a satisfying crunch with a layer of warm marshmallow in between. The Coconut Cake's light cream cheese frosting topped with crunchy coconut flakes and a feathery white cake filling was a sweet, fluffy finishing touch.
The info
3360 Chestnut Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21211
410-235-7887, dinner reservations encouraged
www.rockettovenus.com
Hours: Monday – Saturday 5pm – 2am
Dinner Served 5pm – 11pm
No Carryout 7pm-9pm Fri and Sat
Sunday 12pm – 2am
Brunch served 12 – 7pm
*kitchen closes at 7pm
Originally published by Bmore Live, September 2007
Think Josie and the Pussycats travel to outer space with punk and indie rock favorites like the Exploding Hearts and John Lennon on the soundtrack. With a medium-sized menu ranging from Pierogies to Steak Fritte, Rocket to Venus of Hampden offers a "legendary" menu at an affordable price.
Walking into the hip, crowded, yet comfortable restaurant/bar located in the heart of Hampden, my dinner partners and I started out with a round of beverages. The soft drinks and draft beer (there is a selection of 11 domestics, 9 cans, 8 drafts, and 12 imports) were cold and well carbonated; the iced tea was a bit watery.
Bright green, fresh romaine leaves doused in an even amount of lemon, parmesan, and anchovy dressing coupled with perfectly seasoned salmon strips mixed well in the Caesar Salad with Salmon ($11). The five Pierogies ($5) were served golden brown in petite, rippled crispy pockets with a warm melted orange Asiago cheese filling and a small side portion of sour cream.
Four miniature browned veggie burgers or Wimpies ($7) were served on round plump buns with fried onions. Although a non-dairy version was ordered the dish offers an option of Swiss cheese and honey mustard sauce. Tofu mixed in a sweet and sour raisin-like sloppy Joe sauce added a spicy-hot aftertaste to the Sloppy Jo-fu ($6) overfilled in a large warm, toasted bun. The moist and well-salted Steak Fritte ($18) was cooked medium rare. Accompanying the Wimpies, Sloppy Jo-fu, and Steak Fritte were crisp, salty browned fries.
We ordered two desserts. The Moon Pie looked like a small confectionary UFO. Homemade and sprinkled with brown cinnamon, the chocolate-covered graham crackers brought a satisfying crunch with a layer of warm marshmallow in between. The Coconut Cake's light cream cheese frosting topped with crunchy coconut flakes and a feathery white cake filling was a sweet, fluffy finishing touch.
The info
3360 Chestnut Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21211
410-235-7887, dinner reservations encouraged
www.rockettovenus.com
Hours: Monday – Saturday 5pm – 2am
Dinner Served 5pm – 11pm
No Carryout 7pm-9pm Fri and Sat
Sunday 12pm – 2am
Brunch served 12 – 7pm
*kitchen closes at 7pm
