Kalina, 1/10/07.

The Eater editorial staff is somewhat split on just how successful East Village newbie Seymour Burton, in the former Le Tableau, can be. Those bullish on the place, taken by Seymour's quirky press materials (they sent photo stickers) and absurdist name, see modestly good things in its future. With Meehan's declaration of a burger here that occasionally flirts "with greatness," a very googleable name, and a nice communal table down the middle (above), what could go wrong? Just enough to keep this place from being anything more than any other neighborhood burger and steak frites entry, says the other side. Either way, owners Adam Cohn and Adam Kushner are giving it a go. The first has cooked with Jonathan Waxman at Washington Park and Barbuto and the latter has some design modest chops, having worked on En Brasserie, the now-Shuttered Meet and Tenement on the Lower East Side. This is their first restaurant as owner/operators, so we'll see how their contemporary American joint plays with the neighborhood.

Further reading in the Wire; and in $25 and Under.