What Will Sam Sifton Award Jonathan Benno's Lincoln?

Last week, Adam Platt dropped a one star review on Lincoln, the very ambitious, very expensive Lincoln Center restaurant from chef Jonathan Benno and the Patina group. A disappointment for sure for a team aiming for the stars.

Now, sources reveal to Eater that the restaurant is next on the docket for Times critic Sam Sifton. It's unconfirmed at this point, but should he drop his verdict tomorrow, what will it be?

A slam like Platt's? It's not outside of the realm of possibility, given the restaurant has far from received universal raves. It's been a mixed bag from the bloggers, the Yelpers, and madame Gael Greene. Some exalt the cooking, the setting, others find issues with the service, the portions, the prices. Most just wonder why Benno's work here isn't transcendent the way it was at Per Se.

That said, let us direct your attention to Colicchio & Sons, a restaurant given a onespot by Platt that earned a qualified rave from SiftyPants. As could Lincoln. Plus, Benno does seem to know what he's doing up there, it's a $20 million space, and Sifton may appreciate the respite from recent review targets Lavo and Xiao Ye. A threespot is not the wrong bet here, and neither is the deuce. Keep in mind, Sifton awarded three stars to Marea and four to Del Posto, restaurants in the same genre.
· Lincoln [NYT; after 8 PM]