New Start

Although it's no longer called Scratch, one thing that hasn't changed at Collective Kitchen Public House is the emphasis on cooking from scratch. The faint smell of fresh paint still lingers but gone are the red walls, replaced by cerulean blue and the Collective Kitchen's new logo.

Chef-owner Jason Rex also has transformed the menu to something more akin to his style of dining. Patterned after Carson Kitchen in Las Vegas, Collective Kitchen features upscale casual, seasonal fare that has been labeled Social Plates, Farm n' Garden (salads, pastas and rice), Meat n' Fish (entrées), and Between Bread (sandwiches).

"I just wanted to go in a different direction," says Rex of the split with Spokane's Scratch.

Collective Kitchen social plates include bacon-wrapped figs with huckleberry glaze ($9), poutine ($7), lamb "pops" with Chevré and arugula ($12) and crispy coconut prawns ($9). Pair a cheese board ($15) or charcuterie ($17) with a glass of wine at Collective Kitchen or enjoy your meal next door at Studio 107 wine bar, which has collaborated with Rex for several years.

A few former Scratch menu items remain, including orange-glazed duck breast ($16) and the seafood-based Hot Pot ($18), while new additions include street tacos — fish, beef tongue, pork, duck confit ($12-#13) — and a "grown-up" grilled cheese with apple, pear, arugula, bacon, brie, and both curd and goat cheese on sourdough ($12).

Either would be ideal with one of two dozen craft beers also available next door at The Filling Station, a bar and growler-filling business Rex started with his half-brother last spring.

Also new is the all-day breakfast menu: crème brûlée French toast ($9), salmon lox ($12), and even corned beef hash ($12). Even better, Collective Kitchen will be open at 8 am for breakfast beginning March 26, and recently set up its outdoor dining space, which is one of the best ways to experience downtown Coeur d'Alene. ♦