Arlington Heights “downtown” welcomes a true “downtown venue” Hey Nonny!

Downtown Arlington Heights, little by little , is becoming a true “destination spot” for those suburbanites who do not want the tedious drive into the city. While the Metropolis Theatre is not all we had hoped it to be, the area is filled with solid dining and other forms of entertainment. The latest, which opened in October, is a music venue and gastropub, Hey Nonny, 10 S. Vail Ave., Arlington Heights, has officially opened to the public. Kicking off its grand opening celebration on Friday, October 26, Hey Nonny  is divided into two areas. The intimate listening room, where Hey Nonny presents the best Chicago and touring musicians playing jazz, rock, blues, country, reggae, classical, and folk in ticketed concerts six nights a week. Farm-to-table cuisine is featured in the Hey Nonny gastropub. While the gastropub is divided from the listening room, the wall between the two bars can be raised which allows all but a few tables a clear view of the entertainment of the evening.
   
      “Our music venue is an absolute jewel,” enthused Hey Nonny Co-Founder Chip Brooks, as I watched his eyes light up. This was his dream. To break away from the corporate world and be with his true love, music. He tells me  “The room is gorgeous, the sound is insanely good, the lighting is amazing, and best of all, the touring musicians playing here have said it was a great experience in every way. 

I am hoping to spend an evening both dining and listening so I can bring you even more details. If what he says is true, they will be getting more great performers here.” “We built this because we love to hear great live music in a cool venue and were tired of driving 45 minutes each way to Chicago or Evanston said Co-Founder Chris Dungan. “Hey Nonny is now  simply the best small music venue in the Chicago area. It cements downtown Arlington Heights, with its collection of great theatre, dining and entertainment, as the cultural center of the Northwest suburbs.”  Again, these are Dungan’s words ( for 25 years he was in pharmaceuticals, but as with Brooks, this was his dream! In the next few weeks, I will review both and report back to you.
   
I will tell you that the two rooms  are cozy and the listening room reminds me of the small clubs of yesteryear ( only us older people will understand that). The concept was focused on creating an intimate music experience, Hey Nonny’s intimate venue holds up to 150 guests in flexible seating or standing formats. The venue features high-end sound and lighting systems, ideal acoustics, an 18-foot wide stage, and a Yamaha grand piano. Separating the music venue from the Gastropub,a 24-foot-wide retractable acoustic wall allows for the listening room and Gastropub to be separated or combined into one large space.
   
     
   Hey Nonny’s farm-to-table menu offers boards, shareables, jars, and entrees with ingredients sourced from local farms. Signature dishes include unique  snack options like charcuterie boards and a duck confit jar, along with entrees such as a bone-in wild boar chop, crispy trout, and lamb shank. The full menu is available in the gastropub and at 16 Premier Seats in the listening room.

 Guests may also enjoy signature cocktails, such as a Purple Hayes, Vail Vixon, Harmony Park, and Broken Halo, as well as craft beers from Chicago’s best breweries, spirits from the Midwest’s most distinctive distilleries, and wines that would be local if you lived in Sonoma or Bordeaux.
   
 Hey Nonny  is open Tuesdays through Thursdays 4 p.m. – midnight, and Fridays and Saturdays 4 p.m. – 1 a.m.

Hours and days will expand over the next two months as Hey Nonny adds a weekend  brunch schedule and Sunday afternoon Chamber music.
   
 For more information or to
 purchase tickets, please visit
 www.HeyNonny.com
 or call 224-202-0750.

located at 10 South Vail Street in Downtown Arlington Heights with plenty of free parking ( always pay attention to the signage). One can even take the train and be within walking distance. Stay tuned for more!