The Collective
Cuisine: Eclectic/New American
Price: Moderate

1 Little West 12th
(at 9^th Ave)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 255-9717
www.onelittlewest12.com/collectiveny

When hungry diners first walk into The Collective, a Meatpacking District newbie set to open on St. Patrick's Day, their growling stomachs might momentarily get side-tracked while their curious eyes adjust to the bizarre choice of interior decorating. Think: your great Aunt Toots' (the one that is one over-flowing junk-drawer away from being on Hoarders) apartment crossed with an Andy Warhol eye for sophisticated irony, and topped with garage sale treasures. Still not with me? An example of a seating option in this new eatery may include a flea market bought sofa reupholstered in...a few pairs of jeans. Peculiar, unusual, grotesque, yet seductively eccentric, and dare we say...shabby-chic.

With an economy-friendly budget in mind, ICrave, a Manhattan-based design studio known for their visionary design work in nightclubs like Tenjune and Crobar, set to decorating the new space with help from Craigslist-found artists. This diverse group of design renegades included women carpenters from Brooklyn who use reclaimed wood for flooring projects, a former Swiss goldsmith who utilizes recycled street signs in his work, and a plumber who also designs light fixtures from styrofoam. The group executed the visions of ICrave by finding furniture at flea markets and junkyards, and thereby effectively cutting the expenses to one tenth of the expected million dollar budget for most city restaurant renovations.

Walking past the repurposed jet engine being used for the hostess' stand, the columns decorated in old subway remains, and the flock of birds on the wall made from old-steel license plates, you will be seated in one of the four to five different dining/living rooms, giving the diner an interactive eating experience that not only centers around edible feasts, but visual as well.

Taking a step back from the optic-overload, you'll be glad to find that, unlike its interior motif, the food, fortunately, is not recycled from junkyard digs. The menu houses traditional favorites, updated with savory nuances, like the Burger Royale with Cheese of Course - a would-be average cheeseburger if not for its pairing with the succulent truffle sauce.

Perhaps your meal of choice lies within the Tastes of the Hood menu section. Here, neighborhoods from Brighton Beach to Chelsea get a nod from the chef with these culturally-specified dishes. The Little Italy will nourish your inner Corleone with veal and ricotta, meatballs, rigatoni and meat gravy. If you have a long day of Park Avenue shopping ahead of you, maybe the Upper East Side's Maine lobster salad with citrus vinaigrette will tide you over.

The Collective is open Sunday-Thursday, 5:30pm-12am, and Friday-Saturday, 5:30pm-4am. Reservations aren't required, but between their funky décor, newly established presence in the area, and word of mouth, you might want to call ahead just to be sure that you're guaranteed a spot on the flea market, reupholstered Levis couch. But don't invite Aunt Toots...she might have too much fun.

(Photo courtsey of Katie Sokoler/Gothamist)