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Leaps and bounds from anything in the area, Los-Angeles-meets-residential-Baltimore-neighborhood Rocket to Venus is like a mottled skull posted atop a spear as warning that Hampden's gentrification is just getting started and it will be blood-everywhere ruthless once in full swing. Even if Rocket to Venus seems a bit out of place, it's more than worth a visit. "Old" Hampden seems to be holding up just fine, anyway. The food is excellent, with a reasonably priced menu--you have to try to spend more than $10 on a dish. No complaints on the booze, either--$4 whiskey drinks made with a lead hand mean we left happier and dizzier than when we arrive. Rocket to Venus has about eight beers on tap that are inexpensive but not particularly special, and a long list of bottles and cans, topping out in price with a $10 bottle of Framboise and size with a 25-ounce can of Fosters. Once we were at our table, service was just right (attentive and friendly, but not trying to be your friend), but we seem to have pissed off the host by asking for an outside table, most of which were free, but none of them clean.

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