Hey Nonny, located in downtown Arlington Heights, has two rooms and two experiences. The Bistro room offers an eclectic menu of interesting Midwestern comfort food, dished up and served by super-friendly staff. The Venue room offers Chicago’s best intimate “listening room” concert experience for ticketed shows.
Chef Tim Vidrio
Tim was born and raised in the north shore suburbs of Chicago. He began his culinary journey at the young age of 15, inspired by family gatherings filled with love, laughter, and good food. The kitchen soon became a canvas for his creativity and self-expression, which further fueled his passion for cooking.
Chef Tim has had a distinguished career working for some of the best chefs in Chicago, including stints at acclaimed restaurants Moto, Nomi, and North Pond. At North Pond, located in the heart of Lincoln Park, Chef Tim developed a deep admiration for seasonal ingredients. He was trained by his mentor and James Beard award winner Bruce Sherman, whose contemporary French menu was one of the first in Chicago to highlight seasonal dining. This is where Chef Tim really embraced the philosophy of cooking with the seasons, and learned how to incorporate the best local ingredients into his dishes. After Sherman retired, Chef Tim took over the head chef role at North Pond, and in 2013, under his tenure, North Pond was awarded a Michelin star.
In 2020, Chef Tim opened Porky’s BBQ in downtown Arlington Heights, which specializes in elevated BBQ food, and still serves as Porky’s owner and head chef. At Hey Nonny, Chef Tim celebrates each season with various global influences. He is delighted to showcase his deep-rooted passion for seasonal dining by collaborating with local farmers and artisans to source the freshest ingredients.
Hey Nonny Information
HOURS
GETTING HERE
Address: Hey Nonny is located at 10 South Vail Avenue in downtown Arlington Heights across from Harmony Park.
Transit: It’s more fun not to drive…take a rideshare, or better yet walk, bike, skateboard, or take public transportation to Hey Nonny. The Arlington Heights Metra station is two short blocks away (Union Pacific Northwest Line).
Parking: Street parking is available and free in the evenings, but can be hard to find. The pro move is to park in the parking garage immediately South of Hey Nonny. The garage offers free evening parking on the 1st, 4th, and 5th levels. Please read the signs closely!
TICKETS
Purchasing: Tickets are available at HeyNonny.com or in-person at the host stand. The usual ticket service fee applies either way, so for your convenience, buying online in advance is the best move. We admit patrons to shows from our Will Call list. You just give the ticket buyer’s name; you don’t need a physical ticket for admission.
Seating Categories: For most shows, tickets are sold in three sections: Premier, Cabaret, and General Admission-Standing. These sections are described below.
Tickets in the Premier and Cabaret sections are for specific seats at specific tables. Your seats will be waiting for you whenever you arrive. Tables seat 4 people and if you buy fewer than 4 seats at a table, chances are there will be some other nice folks sitting with you. General Admission-Standing are for standing room near the venue bar. No food or drink is included in any ticket price. There is no drink minimum.
- Premier Seat: Seating at high top tables along the window with great stage views. Our great cocktails and full dinner menu is available for purchase at these seats before and during concerts. You do not need a dining reservation if you have Premier Seats!
- Cabaret Seat: Seating at cocktail tables arrayed close to the stage with four seats per table. Our friendly servers offer small plate food items from our Venue Menu (because the tables are too small for full dinners), along with Hey Nonny beverages. If you’d like the full dinner menu, make a reservation for the Bistro at around 6 pm before your show.
- General Admission-Standing: Standing room near the Venue Bar (convenient for ordering drinks!). No food service is available for the GA- Standing tickets.
Ticket Confirmation: You’ll receive an email confirming your ticket purchase for concert at Hey Nonny. Please add “Tickets@HeyNonny.com” to your address book to ensure you’ll receive your confirmation email. Hey Nonny does not print or mail tickets.
No Refunds: All ticket sales are FINAL AND NON-REFUNDABLE unless Hey Nonny cancels a show. In that case, your refund will automatically be applied to the credit card you used for purchase. If you can’t attend a show, you can sell or give away your tickets. Just have the recipient give the purchaser’s name at the door.
IN THE VENUE
Admission: Admission is according to the name of the ticket purchaser. If you’re buying tickets for someone else, or having others join you, have them give the purchaser’s name at the door. If you’re giving your ticket to someone else at the last minute, just forward your confirmation email to them.
Doors: Doors to the venue open one hour prior to show time unless otherwise noted.
All Ages: Our shows are all ages unless otherwise indicated. Get the kids in to hear good music!
Accessibility: Hey Nonny is accessible to people of all abilities. If you need accessibility accommodations, please call us at 224-202-0750 or email us at Contact@HeyNonny.com at least 24-hours in advance so that we can help.
Bag Policy: All bags large or small are subject to visual inspection upon entry to Hey Nonny.
Photography and Recording: Non-flash photography is permitted during performances. Don’t forget to share and tag @HeyNonnyAH! Live streaming of any show is prohibited. Professional photography/video/audio recording equipment is only allowed into the venue with the prior consent of the artist and venue.
PRIVATE EVENTS
Hey Nonny is available for showers, meetings, luncheons, celebrations, bar mitzvahs and other private events. But Hey Nonny doesn’t have extra private rooms – private events are either held in our Bistro room, in our Venue, or in both rooms combined (with our giant wall retracted into the ceiling). Hey Nonny’s Chef Tim can cook up a great menu of apps or meals, along with drink packages by our bar team. A few notes about private events at Hey Nonny:
- Any event using our Venue room creates a unique experience for guests – not many events are held in a functioning music venue that has hosted some of the greatest performers in the country. But we book the Venue many months in advance, so it helps to book events using the Venue well in advance.
- The combined Bistro and Venue rooms, in a limited seating cocktail party set- up, can accommodate up to 225. The combined rooms can hold up to 130 for a seated dinner. Our Venue and Bistro both have large picture windows, allowing for beautiful natural light and scenic views. We will be happy to arrange entertainment.
For more private event information, contact us at Events@HeyNonny.com.
Venue:
- Capacity:
- 150 standing at bar-height tables or
- 100 seated at cabaret tables or
- 72 seated for dining (including stage)
- Private bar
- Stage, stage lights, sound system, grand piano
- Bands! (or anyone else interested) take a look at our tech specs here!
Combined Rooms (with Great Wall up)
- Capacity: 235 Cocktail; 122 seated for dining (including stage)
FAQs
What kind of live music?
Hey Nonny presents all kinds of live music: rock, pop, reggae, jazz, blues, folk, bluegrass, country, classical, and more. Hey Nonny isn’t defined by particular styles or genres, but by the intimate nature of the listening experience and the virtuoso creativity of the performers. Because Hey Nonny focuses on creative music, there won’t be a lot of cover bands or tribute bands on our stage.
What's the deal with music?
Hey Nonny presents ticketed shows in our Venue room at 7:30 pm Tuesday through Saturday nights. Tickets are available at HeyNonny.com. It is best to buy tickets in advance, because shows often sell out. Ticket costs range from $12 to $65, depending on the show and the tickets. We also present “free” music in our Bistro room every Friday and Saturday from 4 to 6 pm and again from 9:30 to 11:30 pm. There are usually food and drink specials for these events.
Can I eat in the venue?
Yes! Our full dinner menu is available for purchase at the Premier Tables. We have a small plates Venue Menu available at the Cabaret Table seats. Unfortunately, there’s no place for food for the standing room ticket holders. But many people prefer to make a 6 pm dinner reservation and eat in the Bistro before the show.
Is the music quiet enough so I can talk to my friends?
Hey Nonny is a “listening room,” which means the music is central to the experience. We hope that conversations are kept to a minimum out of respect for the performers and audience members.
How long are the shows?
Most shows last about two hours with a short break between sets.
Can I or my cousin Stevie play there?
Hey Nonny presents the very best Chicago-based musicians and the greatest up-and-coming touring musicians out on the road. If Stevie’s one of those, she’s in! If you know a great professional musician or band, send info to Katie@HeyNonny.com. Please do not call, mail, or drop off materials at Hey Nonny. Booking or artist materials given to us in any other form other than e-mail will not be accepted.
What are the rules on tickets?
All ticket sales are final. If you can’t attend a show, you can sell or give away your tickets – just have the recipient give the ticket buyer’s name at the door (we admit from our Will Call list). Like every other venue, there are ticket fees. Unlike some venues, those fees apply at Hey Nonny whether you buy the tickets online or in person.
What does “Hey Nonny” mean?
Old English songs and verse use “Hey Nonny Nonny” to describe a state of cheerful bliss you feel as you let go of your cares. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, the song “Sigh No More” reminds women that “men were deceivers ever.” What to do about it? “Be you blithe and bonnie, converting all your sounds of woe into Hey Nonny Nonny.” We also love the Violent Femmes’ 1991 song “Hey Nonny Nonny” in which the singer tries to suppress his “wanton thoughts” inspired by a “beauty bathing” into . . . “Hey Nonny Nonny.”
GALLERY
