Acclaimed Atlanta Chef Guenter Seeger Wants to Open a MePa Tasting Menu Restaurant

High-minded chef Guenter Seeger, who Bill Addison called "a one-man revolution" when reviewing his restaurant Seeger in Atlanta in 2006, has set his sights on a space in the Meatpacking District, but is struggling to get approval from the neighbors. Seeger is hoping to open a 42 seat restaurant with a "tasting-style" menu that is "small, understated but highly focused and culinary driven," and by reservation only. Despite a letter of support for the chef from Daniel Boulud saying "We are lucky that he has decided to call this great city his home and it is with great anticipation that I look forward to his opening," Community Board 2 denied the liquor license application, worried that there are already too many establishments that serve alcohol in the neighborhood. The SLA is expected to vote on the restaurant's application soon.

Seeger made a name for himself with his exceptionally well received and exceptionally expensive eponymous restaurant in Atlanta. He's known for minimalist presentation and a surprising layering of flavors. In 2006, Addison pondered:

I left that night questioning if Guenter Seeger still belonged in Atlanta. If he insisted on enrobing his exquisite cooking in such obstinate formality, surely New York, San Francisco or even Paris would embrace his ideology more fervently than this essentially Southern town. Should Seeger pack up his act and hit the road?

Seeger closed his restaurant in 2007, and reportedly looked for the right space in New York for five years. Now the decision is in the hands of the SLA. 641 Hudson Street, Meatpacking District