A Taste of Fall Arrives with Revised Menu at Hey Nonny
As the seasons change so does the menu at Hey Nonny, the midwestern bistro and music venue in downtown Arlington Heights. The arrival of cooler temperatures and shorter days brings a mix of new starters, salads, entrees, and even desserts to the three-year-old venue. The new menu debuts Oct. 5.
"Chef Tony has always favored locally-sourced seasonal items, so as the calendar changes each year, we bring in fresh new items," said owner Chris Dungan. "In addition to some great comfort food for fall, we're also expanding our seafood selection. Even with the great variety of restaurants all around us, none really feature seafood, so we hope to fill that gap a little."
To Dungan's point, two of the new starters for fall are crab cakes with mixed greens and a remoulade sauce, and mussels Rockefeller. Also being added is a calabacitas cheese fondue featuring onion, tomato, corn and parmesan crostini.
As the thermometer falls heading into October, patrons can beat the chill with a new warm spinach salad served in a traditional manner with hard-boiled egg, mushrooms, red onion, crumbled bacon, and a warm balsamic bacon dressing, or a tomato basil soup.
"With our popular apple pecan salad on the menu as well as our Caesar salad, these two new items will present our guests with a variety of warm, flavorful options ahead of their entrée," Dungan said. "We anticipate these items will enhance the warm feeling as we convert from the outdoor alfresco experience of the summer to a more intimate indoor dining experience this fall."
The list of new entrees will be equally enticing as guests consider which to try. Dungan anticipates a good response to the addition of Mama's Chicken Pot Pie and the new smoked brisket tacos with pico de gallo, smoked cheddar, and poblano sauce. Chicken cacciatore served with pasta makes an appearance on the menu while vegetarians might gravitate to the grilled veggie platter as an entrée as it features at least a half-dozen vegetables and chimichurri.
Pointing back to the expanded seafood menu, clams, mussels, and shrimp will mix with fennel, celery, carrots, white wine, and tomato broth in a bouillabaisse served with garlic sourdough bread, and guests will love a shrimp and scallops offering with a creamy tomato basil sauce, penne pasta, and the garlic sourdough.
"While we make changes with each season, I think this represents our most expansive set of new offerings,"said Dungan. "We have a great reputation for our variety of musical genres presented live in our listening room and I believe our food menu now reflects that theme of exploration, discovery, and comfort."
Dungan also suggests leaving room for dessert - one new and one returning favorite. New on the menu will be a molten Black Forest cake. Returning to the menu is Chef Tony's famous crème brûlée cheesecake with a granola crust, topped with a raspberry compote.
Hey Nonny is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and for brunch on Sundays. For more information visit www.heynonny.com.
Hey Nonny is a music venue and midwestern bistro located in the heart of downtown Arlington Heights. The bistro serves an array of down-home comfort food entrées and small plates with Chef Tony's creative twists. The music venue hosts live music six days a week, featuring the best Chicago and touring acts playing jazz, blues, country, folk, and rock.