And away we go .....
Space: Hearsay is located downtown, in what I imagine may have been a townhouse or loft at some point. The decor is cool and polished, all hardwood and brick. Plus there is a low-cost public parking lot located about 15 feet from the front door. You can't really ask for more than that.
Service: there was a healthy crowd on the night we went, so I think our server might have been a little distracted. That said, we didn't want for anything while we were there. He just didn't seem to be around a lot, and we had to flag him down to get our check. Maybe things would have been better if we had chosen to sit at the bar and not a table.
Food: We decided to share some small plates. Below you'll find the salmon crostini and the duck quesadillas. We also had the beer-battered asparagus and seared yellow fin tuna. The stand out dish was probably the yellow fin. The fish was comparable to what you might find in any good sushi restaurant, and we both really loved the piquant little salad that came with it. The quesadillas were very good; the duck was actually in the form of sausage, and the portions were very generous. Small plate does not necessarily mean small food! I didn't really enjoy the crostini, which had a fishy flavor and a too-crisp bread that was tough to bite through. And although I appreciate the shout-out to a local beer, the asparagus were greasy, floppy and not very much fun.
Of course, this is a gastro-pub, so I would be remiss not to mention my cocktail. The one I tried was comprised of jalapeno juice, vodka, sugar and lemon. It sounds like it would be spicy (and the waiter warned me that it could be), but mine wasn't. What it was was refreshing and light, the perfect end to a hot summer day. Totally worth the money!
Overall, I liked Hearsay's atmosphere and it's inventive drink menu. The food was only fair, but in the end, a place like Hearsay probably isn't really about food. Go to drink and be seen; grab dinner somewhere else.
