A Collective Experience
In the land of opportunity-a.k.a., New York City-there is always room for one more restaurant. After all, each hungry diner is your next opportunity just waiting to happen; if hunger fails, there’s always the strategic opportunity of placing your restaurant on the hippest corner of the urban landscape.
In the case of The Collective, placement has won out. The new eatery, which made its grand opening in a splashy party with Harper’s Bazaar last night, occupies the former spot at One Little West 12th Street, formerly the location of, well, One Little West 12, where the intimately named little street meets Ninth Avenue (across from Pastis restaurant and around the corner from The Gansevoort Hotel (owned by the same parent company, The One Group), those temples of cool). As industries go, this is a quixotic one, at least in NYC’s competitive terrain. Location is, indeed, everything—that and good food, the right crowd, a friendly maitre d’, an innovative, step-above-the-rest menu, ambient music, a great vibe, cool cocktails, hot bartenders, a bitchin’ bathroom …. need I go on???
No worries: The Collective knows there’s strength in numbers, and it has this group of ingredients down pat, evident last night especially in the throngs of P.Y.T.s and F.Y.G.s (that’s Fine Young Gents; P.Y.T.s you know) storming the opening night barricades. The décor is super interesting, with floors and benches fashioned of multicolored wood that is bea-u-ti-ful, and robotic-like futuristic installations dotting the walls and columns. Billing its menu as “collective, eclectic, International (thus the name)”, The Collective is just that, starting things off with the most favorite old-yet-new-again delight, Deviled Eggs—only they are “Delivered Eggs” on this menu, perhaps implying that it’s the truffle oil inside that really brings them home. And Crab Cake appetizers—need one look further? One does, and finds Disco Fries, Warm Crab Dip-n-Chips, and a bevy of yummy sandwiches (Pot Belly Pork with Cheddar and Caramelized Onions-delish!), salads (Black-n-Blue Caesar made with pumpernickel croutons, blue cheese, and crispy garlic), and entrees that will win over the biggest foodie out there, such as Hong Kong Ribs with shrimp chips and scallions; Seared Diver Scallops with peas and pearls; and BBQ Spiced Rib-eye and Fries with red pepper ketchup. With all this in one spot, making this dining decision will be a collective one, and a unanimous one at that.
Tagged in: new york city restaurants, the one group, the collective, the gansevoort hotel, harper's bazaar,
Purple Neon
