Hey 89 Roncesvalles, at Pearson, 647-748-0439.
Having made a splash at Rosebud and Citizen – now Lynn Crawford’s Ruby Watchco – as well as his Hey Meatball sandwich shop on College, Rodney Bowers returns to the front lines with the abbreviated Hey. Some might remember the split-level space as Tinto.
The theme’s still Italian comfort food, but the some-time TV chef has widened his approach.
“It’s a few concepts in one,” says the ever-affable Bowers of the week-old Hey. “There’s the juice bar – Hey Juice – and we have a bakery in the basement called Hey Sweets. It’s the food I’ve always done – simple with a refined elegance. And it’s super-affordable.”
That translates as starters like warm carrot and avocado salad ($8.75) and mains like mustard-crusted Tamworth pork loin sided with a kale and tomato cassoulet ($17.50). There’s even deep-fried pizza.
“It’s something I saw in Italy but no one does over here,” explains Bowers. “We deep-fry the dough for about 20 second then dress it on a stone and bake it in an oven. It’s the first time I’ve ever had a deep-fryer in any of my restaurants!”
