Arlington Heights' new Hey Nonny plays to music lovers, local foodies
Chip Brooks and Chris Dungan were always heading into Chicago or Evanston to catch live music in intimate venues.
The Arlington Heights residents wanted to open something closer to home - a place where good music came first, but a good meal was available as well.
The result is Hey Nonny, a music venue/gastropub that opened a month ago in downtown Arlington Heights and has already generated plenty of buzz. In fact, six of the first seven shows sold out, Brooks said.
“Music was the genesis of our project,” he said.
<b>Motif: </b>The venue's name came from an old English expression for being carefree. It's also the name of a song, fitting for a place that takes music seriously.
Hey Nonny is divided into two separate spaces. On one side is the gastropub, on the other is the music room. You can enjoy food without music, or music without food, but you might need to decide in advance with pub reservations filling up at key times and shows selling out.
If you stick to the nightclub side, your experience will shift with the acts and your tickets.
Premium tickets, which generally cost $20 to $40 plus fees, get you a seat at a high-top table in the back where you can order food or drinks from a server. Anything less than a party of four can expect to sit with someone else, and at this time you can't choose your seats when you buy tickets - meaning a group could be split up. Brooks said they are looking at changing that.
Cabaret tables are set up for some shows, with seats costing less. And general admission tickets, $10 to $20, either offer just standing room or a handful of seats and standing room.
On the Saturday night we visited, our general admission tickets noted limited seating. But even the first groups through the door were surprised to find only 12 seats - mostly reserved - until someone complained and a few more were brought out. Brooks said they are looking at better ways to describe seating and working on a new system where you can choose your seats, including with the cabaret table option.
Even in the standing areas, however, it wasn't overly crowded, so you could make your way to the bar with little trouble. And there was a table with cups of ice water, a nice touch.
Music: Hey Nonny's lineup runs the gamut. In its first four weeks, the venue has hosted jazz, rock, country, bluegrass and more. Brooks said many of the musicians are local.
<b>Food:</b> The Nonny burger with smoked Gouda, bacon jam and truffle aioli is a top-seller. Other entree options include sea scallops, lamb shank, wild boar chop and crispy skin trout. Boards of cheese and meat are popular along with jars of various spreads.
Remember, though, if you are buying general admission tickets you won't be able to order food on the music side. You can order snacks but not meals at the cabaret tables.
Liquid consumption: Six beers are on tap and about 15 more are available in cans or bottles. More than 20 wines are sold by the glass, and cocktails range from the classics to $15 signature sippers. The focus, as with the food and music, is on local, Brooks said.
<b>Crowd:</b> On the night we went, the crowd included groups of friends in their early 30s and couples in their 40s through 60s.
<b>Service:</b> Two bartenders staffed the music room's bar on the Saturday night we visited. They were quick, despite the sold-out crowd. Servers tended to tables in the premium section.
<b>Parking:</b> There are plenty of spots in the nearby lot and limited street parking.
<b>Overall:</b> Hey Nonny fills a unique niche in the suburbs.
Hey Nonny
10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, (224) 202-0750, heynonny.com
<b>Hours:</b> Check website for show times. General hours are 4:30 to 11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday.