EATS & DRINKS
By Case Dighero | Photos by Meredith Mashburn
The Collective
216 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville | (479) 466-1212 | www.collectivefay.com
Dickson Street in Fayetteville continues to move in the direction of both nostalgia and exciting nouveau prospect, not unlike the salad days of fine restaurants that threaded the landscape between College Avenue and the University of Arkansas in the early and mid-1990s. The Collective, a newly opened establishment from visionaries Don and William Ray of Ben’s Apartment fame, has simultaneously managed to whet the appetite of recent transplants as well as the old guard of Fayetteville. Many longtime residents have cherished memories of Dickson Street’s iconic 1936 Club, Ozark Brewing Company, Restaurant on the Corner, and the early iterations of Jose’s and Bordinos; and now with The Collective, the Brothers Ray are poised to create new memories for everyone.
Along with the culinary vision of Little Rock’s Chris Tanner of Samantha’s Tap Room & Wood Grill and Cheers in the Heights, the Ray family has devised a comfortable, impressive restaurant that promises to satisfy a need for sips and eats in the heart of Fayetteville.
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The bar bustles with activity, cranking out boutique cocktails that rival any other in town, with the familiar classics of old fashioneds, mules and margaritas alongside exceptional updated versions of the Espresso Martini ($11), designed with Tito’s Vodka, house-made coffee liqueur and a whisper of Bailey’s; the ethereal Passion Flower ($11), a concoction of Arkansas’ Origami Sake, passion fruit puree and yuzu; and the caffeine-laden Carajillo ($11), devised of Liquor 43 and Arsaga’s espresso shaken over ice…delicious and perfect when a coffee bump is the only thing that cures what ills.
The dinner menu offers an ideal place to land, whether the need is for a full, elevated dinner or just noshing and sipping with a group of friends. Plenty of shareable plates satisfy the latter, with an offering of appetizers such as Wild Mushroom Flatbread ($15), Potstickers ($14) and Shrimp Cocktail ($18).
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Dinner at The Collective is a thing of beauty, with perhaps the most perfectly prepared Chilean Seabass ($45) in Northwest Arkansas, seared to a perfect wobble and dressed with chimichurri. The throwback version of Lobster Thermidor ($40), layered with cremini mushrooms, shallots, heavy cream and cognac, is divine. And the Braised Pork Shank ($30) falls off the bone, especially satisfying on these cold January nights with a shareable side of Mashed Potatoes ($12), smothered in andouille sausage gravy. For a lighter, more responsible dinner, consider the Chicken Bowl ($26), a stratification of roasted chicken, zucchini, corn, avocado, black beans, edamame, lime crema and sumac.
And for dessert, be sure to check out the Affogato XO ($12), a float of vanilla gelato topped with a shot of Frangelico and Arsaga’s espresso, served with biscotti.
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Members of the aforementioned Ben’s Apartment can step through the hidden entrance located in The Collective to enjoy drinks in the private lounge. Learn about becoming a member at the website.
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In addition to dinner, The Collective also offers a wonderful weekend brunch. I’m especially thrilled that it includes a version of my beloved Turkish Eggs ($16), a perfectly poached egg waiting to be pierced over Greek yogurt, Aleppo chimi rojo and toasted buttery baguettes…a dish that I’ve missed ever since Arsaga’s Mill District closed last fall. The bar is also churning out classic brunch drinks; both the Bloody Mary and House Mimosa ($11) are perfect for a Sunday morning coming down.
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Indeed, Dickson Street will continue to elevate Fayetteville, Northwest Arkansas and the Natural State as long as we are lucky enough to have places such as The Collective to inhabit the space.
