Whoa, check out The Collective, a zany new restaurant in the Meatpacking District that looks like it was designed by Punky Brewster and a family of freegan dumpster divers. It's actually the work of design firm ICRAVE, which salvaged all the furnishings from from thrift shops, flea markets, Craigslist, and, yes, curbside trash. Once inside the main space, which seats 150, you'll find a ceiling composed of Styrofoam and turned into a light fixture, a couch reupholstered in designer denim, a wall made of used Legos and casino slot machines, a bar decorated with flying seagulls made from license plates, and a host stand made from the hub of a plane. Eat your heart out, T.G.I. Friday's.
There's food, too, and unlike the furniture, none of it has been dragged in off the street. The "eclectic" menu is the work of Chef Todd Miller and Chef de Cuisine Sean Fetters, whose signature dishes include Chicken -n- Waffles (Buttermilk chicken served with a sweet potato waffle and maple syrup gravy, $12), Lamb Shank with Fruity Cous Cous ($27), and Veal and Ricotta Meatballs and Rigatoni ($20). The menu also features a "Table Nibblers" section, intended for ordering prior to appetizers, including Warm Crab Dip n’ Chips ($14); Country Pate with Pickled Veggies($15); and Disco Fries ($10).
The stand-out choice for dessert seems to be pastry chef Ashley Palma’s Baked Alaska Ding Dong (Moist chocolate cake with an ice cream center toasted marshmallow outside). And of course there are "signature" cocktails, such as The Robert Maple Roy (Vermont maple, cherry bitters, glenlivet single malt) and, ha, The Credible Hulk (fresh lime with basil, cerano chile and plymouth gin). At last, a cocktail that makes us credible.
Currently open for dinner, The Collective will branch out into lunch in the next couple of weeks. 1 Little West 12th Street; (212) 255-9717
