Restaurants
Hey!
Hey! on Roncesvalles has been open for just a week in the space that long housed the 100-seater coffee shop, Tinto. My boyfriend and I are former residents of the area, so the trek south is loud with exclamations at the changing neighbourhood, and much wonderment about how Hey! might've re-interpreted its somewhat dowdy new address.
Truly, nothing could've prepared us for the freshly white-washed stucco exterior, on which the words Hey! are written (misleadingly, but more on that later) in the same cursive script as its (purported) sister-restaurant in Little Italy. Thinking we were in for more of the same incredible meatballs (a statement that I sincerely thought I would never make), our enthusiasm is doubled.
The interior has been gutted, re-plastered, and coated in rustic kitchen accents--we rudely walk around 'ooh'ing and 'ahh'ing at the changes before a server flags us down. The dominant decor theme here is old country, with bleached wood tables, exposed brick, and glass cabinetry throughout. They've made beautiful use of the space, with a full dining room upstairs (with additional picnic bench seating in front of the mostly open kitchen downstairs), and a juice bar and bar seating downstairs.
We choose a booth, each of which is outfitted generously with large pillows in playful, barnyard animal prints. It's cozy, and at the end of the day, a tempting place to rest my head. But I'm too confused for that. It begins when we sit down--bordered by children and infants, eerily good-looking twenty-somethings, and intellectuals.
You can chalk that up to Roncesvalles--a neighbourhood that's home to young families, older Eastern Europeans, and a bustling dining scene that's flypaper for a let's-suggestively-call-it-hip demographic.
To drink, there are fresh offerings from the juice bar, and homemade sodas, as well as draught beer. Sleeman's Original will set you back $7. The menu is also a head-scratcher. There are polite nods to the neighbourhood's heritage with the potato-and-cod soup and the seems-slightly overpriced chicken schnitzel. There's the pizza and pasta that one would expect from an Italian restaurant--which Hey! allegedly is--as well as plain ol' country cooking in the form of the a pork loin dish and sides of warm green beans and Ontario corn. Then there's the cheeseburger with house-made ketchup ($13.50), but that's its own brand of mystery.
First up is the Caesar salad ($9.25). It, too, is unusual. In place of romaine is crisp kale, and in place of croutons are pickled shallots. A generous sprinkling of pecorino cheese and what-seems-to-be-uncooked bacon tops it off, with the whole thing tossed in a very light vinaigrette. Chef Bowers, you intrigue me. It's, at best, a remarkably fresh-tasting interpretation of a traditionally heavy salad. The pickled shallots are almost candied, and lend an unexpected touch of both sweet and tart to the dish.
The braised short rib ravioli with tomato sauce ($14.75) sounds straightforward, and is eagerly anticipated. Unfortunately, it's the night's most disappointing dish. In my books, fresh pasta is meant to be soft, but the ravioli is al dente, and the short rib filling is sapped of the succulent flavour that braising should impart. The plate arrives cool, and while the basil in the sauce is fresh, the sauce itself is too simple--perhaps relying on the meat to deliver a punch.
Next up is the mustard-crusted pork loin with kale and tomato cassoulet ($17.50)--simply spectacular. The cassoulet is appropriately rustic, amply spiced, and the white beans are perfectly cooked. Halved baby tomatoes and beets are lightly roasted, and complement the texture of the dish. Unfortunately, our servers are charming, but unable to answer questions about the dishes.
The menus rotate daily, and with three meals on offer beginning at 6 a.m., they're understandably frazzled by nighttime. I don't really mind not knowing exactly what the rich, tender squash-like vegetable on my plate is--the taste, after all, speaks for itself--but my curiosity still nags me.
The meat is a decent cut of smoked pork loin, and makes for sheer indulgence, despite the fact that I can't really isolate the mustard crust. The consistency is drier and tougher than you'd expect from a cassoulet meat, but the flavour makes up for it.
The desserts--an array of baked goods--are cleverly displayed downstairs. They're made fresh each day by local baker Leslie Cairns, and you spot them on your way in and mull on them throughout the meal--or, if you become addicted, you can hit up the on-site display for a take-out snack. We try a coconut creme pie with chocolate crumble crust ($4), and a tart filled with almond creme ($2). The former is the obvious winner.
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The service was awful (and we were almost the only ones in the place, at the time).
There wasn't any red wine on the menu.
The cheeseburger was small with maybe four potato wedges on the side (one was bad).
The chicken dumpling soup looked and tasted like cold tea.
There was absolutely no value to the meal.
For being in a family neighbourhood, there weren't any kid's meals on the menu.
Again, maybe it was the night we chose to go on, but I don't think we'll be going back.
There were at least 4 empty and set tables that we could see and a lot of staff rushing around but no one at the front door or even willing to look up and say hi.
I was pretty excited about the new restaurant in the neighbourhood but after that experience I doubt I'll ever be back.
We took our money around the corner to The Local on Queen.
Hey, so overall..... strike 1. Will give it another shot soon because food taste was good, we liked the menu and atmosphere.... but if there will be a strike 2, ... your out.
I hope the potato wedges are temporary. Deep fryer on the way?
I was excited when I saw the amount of beers on tap, but was dissapointed to find the extremely poorly thought out selection. Chefs: design a beer menu like a food menu. You can't have an all chicken menu, can you?
My starter was missing a component, no biggie, but amazed it got missed, but was removed from the bill anyway, so kudos for that, I wasn't expecting it to be removed, I just wanted them to be aware.
The sausage pizza was delicious, I just wish it had been bigger ( perfectly willing to spend more btw).
I have had previous experience with Citizen and Rosebud, both good, so will comeback to this one in a month or two, hopefully things will have settled in a bit more.
it all came cold, if it came at all (they forgot one of the people at our table completley) it was very uncomfertable
and the waitress was a miserable bitch
just give it 7 thumbs down and move on.
(to be fair, they do need to work some of the kinks out, but even the fact that the "reviewer" here couldn't tell the resto's exterior is bright blue tells me she wasn't REALLY paying attention).
And as a sister restaurant to Hey Meatball on College, why MUST it have meatballs on the menu every night? If she wants meatballs, she should go to the MEATBALL RESTAURANT.
Just found the review silly - especially since a reviewer worth their grain generally doesn't go into a restaurant less than a week after it's opened.
And then I got to watching the neighborhood yuppies salivate as Hey was preparing to open over the summer. I also watched someone who works there paint the church pews on the sidewalk - with nothing under them to stop the paint from getting all over the sidewalk.
When I found out that Hey was Hey Meatball's sister restaurant, I decided to give it a try - it looked cute and clean, so why not?
They had the same amazing home made ginger ale as Hey Meatball, but that was the only nice thing about the meal. Overpriced for the portion size, forgettable food, no red wine, and the place was teeming with flies. I also think that eventually, those cute little throw pillows will be nice and bacteria filled.
But ya know what? It fits right in - in Toronto's yuppie epicenter.
I have lived in the neighborhood for over 10 years and Hey may be my new favorite restaurant. I have been there twice. Once when it was "semi-open" during the Polish festival and again this past Friday for dinner with my wife. In fact we like it so much we are planning to meet friends there for Brunch this Sunday.
Love the great relaxed atmosphere in the place and awesome, open, decor.. Food has been very tasty - all of it. Just like the Chef describes - refined comfort food. Any place can have growing pains, but our service based on my previous 2 experiences has been genial and competent. I have no doubt that if there are glitches in the food or service, the owner will take them seriously and work to fix them.
Try it out, and if you have been there and had a bad experience - give it another chance. If you are there tomorrow morning for Brunch - see you there !
First, the ambiance. Warm, welcoming, friendly.
Second, the service. Our waiter was very knowledgeable, friendly and provided good recommendations.
Third, the meal. The service is very fast. Waited no more than 15 minutes for our entrees. And it was delicious. The brazed short rib (special $19) was superb, as was the 'Ronfather' meatball sandwich ($14).
Fourth, reasonable prices. Dinner for two, including drinks, entrees, desserts, and cappuccinos came to $70 including tip.
Verdict. On a Saturday night when other local restaurants such as Barque, the Westerly and Foodliner require a reservation well in advance, Hey! provides a very welcoming, warm and friendly atmosphere without compromising quality and service, and often is much less pretentious than the aforementioned establishments.