Hey Lucy

A couple of girlfriends and I met up at Hey Lucy on King West after work on a recent weeknight (specifically for its Wednesday night martini feature), and I'm a tad embarrassed to concede that, after years of living in the Toronto Entertainment District, it's taken me this long to check this local haunt off my list of eateries.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the theatre district of this downtown neighbourhood, Hey Lucy is one of a number of restaurants that line the south side of King Street West between Blue Jays Way and John Street, to which theatre- and concert-goers are known to flock before and after shows at the Princess of Wales Theatre, the Royal Alexandra Theatre, or the Roy Thomson Hall.

While I try to avoid that strip of King Street on my way home from work most evenings (it can get somewhat annoying when you're solicited every 30 seconds by individual staff members whose job is to stand next to the heat lamp and offer a Vanna White display of their menu in an attempt to wave you in to their establishment), it's an interesting concentration of culinary eclecticism (Indian, Japanese, Asian fusion, Cajun/Creole, French, Italian) that showcases a few of Toronto's best international cuisines.

Crisp Pear and Goat Cheese Salad

At Hey Lucy, the atmosphere is inviting, the martini selection (over 20 varieties) is extensive, the music is catchy (well, if you're a fan of '80s music, that is), and the food is fabulous. Our only complaint was the service. Although the wait staff were pleasant, they decided to add a handful of drinks and an appetizer to the bill (one of my girlfriends happens to be a Chartered Accountant—a Certified Public Accountant for my readers south of the border) and, when we brought this accounting error to their attention, they still returned with the wrong subtotal. Nevertheless, let's move on to the menu ...

Cinnamon Hazelnut Dessert Pizza

While my friends, who had started off their Freedom 55 (retirement, anyone?) martinis with a serving of sweet-potato fries, migrated to a sharing platter of nachos baked with mozzarella, roasted onion, and grilled peppers and zucchini, I opted for the crisp pear and goat cheese salad. The baby spinach, dressed in a sweet onion vinaigrette and topped with cherry tomatoes and spicy pecans, was fresh, tender, and appetizing alongside the thinly sliced pear and creamy crumbled goat cheese. As tasty as it was, however, I'd have to say that the best part of the meal was dessert: a cinnamon hazelnut pizza, sprinkled with spoonfuls of cinnamon sugar, drizzled in melted semi-sweet chocolate chips, and served with a generous scoop of hazelnut ice cream and whipped cream. Mmm ... it was so mouth-watering that what had initially been intended as a shared dessert ended up being, um, more than half-devoured by yours truly (I do have a sweet tooth).

Hey Lucy ... I will definitely be coming back.

Hey Lucy is located at: 295 King Street West (John Street)