If you're looking for a bit of the East, sup at Suzie's Soba, a Japanese restaurant with a killer neon sign that features "Noodles and Things," including sushi and donburi (which means "large bowl" in Japanese). This style of grub consists of meat or fish served in a large bowl over rice. Donburi has become the Japanese workers' version of a quick, light meal on the go.

Soba so good: Suzie's Soba has yummy noodles and things. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

If you're a chicken rights advocate, or you just like to know that you're getting the healthiest bird that money can buy, fill up with some free-range chicken from the uncharacteristically (for Hampden, that is) nouveauish Golden West Cafe.

The low-budgeted and darn hungry should try the local Mexican joint Holy Frijoles. Come for the name, stay for the incredibly large portions, low, low prices, and the BYOB option.

	Cool beans: It may be small, but the portions are grande at Holy Frijoles. (Photo by Rob Baker, Special to SunSpot)

For convenience and class, pick up some typical convenience store grub at the Avenue's Royal Farm Store and enjoy your corn dog in the store's dining area. Be sure to look to the sky as you sit at the ultra modern metallic dining sets. The painted ceiling art will brighten your day. An added bonus for milk drinkers: when you open the door to the store's dairy case, a cow's moo greets you.

Go to Frazier's to get it all. This bar doubles as a restaurant and comes complete with a pool table, juke box and reasonably priced, just plain good food. You can fulfill your food pyramid guidelines for the weekly servings of red meat with a well-endowed filet mignon from Frazier's. On Wednesdays, you have your choice of an 8-ounce Filet Mignon or a 12-ounce New York Strip steak, served with a baked potato and salad for the bargain price of $9.95. On Thursdays, you get a strip steak, garlic mashed potatoes and salad for $6.95.

Now that you've shopped, eaten and gotten cultured on the Avenue, you can truly say you've been there and done that in Baltimore's one-and-only Hampden, hon.