‘Unhealthy Vegan’ star Sarma Melngailis is luring buyers to reopen NYC celeb- hotspot Pure Meals and Wine – the place Alec Baldwin met spouse Hilaria – after she was hit with $1M lawsuit over lacking wages

‘Unhealthy Vegan‘ Sarma Melngailis is planning a sensational comeback after being jailed for fleecing cash from her NYC restaurant.

Melngailis pled responsible to numerous fraud fees in 2017 after swindling almost $2million from investors and stiffing employees along with her then-husband earlier than happening the run.

Her weird downfall was showcased in Netflix‘s ‘Unhealthy Vegan’ – with the previous restaurateur claiming she used funds from the show to pay back her employees.

She is now mentioned to be looking for to reopen the celebrity-studded uncooked meals hotspot in Union Sq., which was as soon as one in every of New York Journal’s Prime 100 Eating places after opening in 2004, and repeatedly welcomed Hollywood A-listers by way of its doorways earlier than closing in 2016.

Alec Baldwin famously met his spouse Hilaria at Pure Meals & Wine in 2011 after turning into pleasant with the chef on the peak of her success.

Melngailis pled responsible to numerous fraud fees in 2017 after swindling almost $2million from buyers and stiffing staff along with her then-husband earlier than happening the run 

She is now attempting to reopen the celebrity-studded uncooked meals hotspot, which was as soon as one in every of New York Magazines Prime 100 Eating places, and repeatedly had Hollywood A-listers come by way of its doorways earlier than closing in 2016 

She fell underneath the spell of her ex-husband Anthony Strangis, who allegedly gained her belief by interacting with Baldwin on Twitter.

Page Six claims that the convicted fraudster is now courting buyers to re-open the eatery, taking them to the previous location of her uncooked restaurant.

She had co-founded Pure Meals and Wine with chef and her then-boyfriend Matthew Kenney in 2004, attracting quite a few A-list followers, together with Chelsea Clinton, Tom Brady, Owen Wilson, and Woody Harrelson.

After her private {and professional} break up from Kenney, she took management of your entire firm and its $2 million debt with the assistance of investor Jeffrey Chodorow.

Showing on the ‘Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel’ podcast final month, and when requested if she’d open a brand new eatery, she mentioned, ‘Sure. In the best circumstances.’

She added: ‘There is a bunch of various issues that I am engaged on that would restore the harm, which I tackle as my duty,’

‘Folks have mentioned, ‘Why do not you open a meals truck?’ or ‘why do not you do catering?’ And I am like, that is not going to make $6 million.’

The previous restauranteur declined to get into specifics in regards to the potential initiatives, however instructed that she wanted to search out buyers.

Alec Baldwin famously met his spouse Hilaria at Pure Meals & Wine, which opened in 2004, in 2011, after turning into pleasant with the chef on the peak of her success

Baldwin mirrored on the second he first laid eyes on his spouse at Pure Meals and Wine in a heartfelt Instagram submit in 2019

Melngailis claimed her ex-husband, Anthony Strangis, manipulated her into swindling almost $2 million from buyers and stiffing unpaid staff earlier than happening the run 

The vegan chef detailed the downfall of her restaurant Pure Meals and Wine following her relationship with Strangis within the new Netflix documentary Unhealthy Vegan: Fame, Fraud, Fugitives 

Melngailis additionally opened One Fortunate Duck, a vegan juice bar and takeaway, subsequent door to her uncooked meals restaurant and revealed two vegan cookbooks.

She married Strangis in December 2012, the identical yr the Baldwins tied the knot, and introduced him on board as a supervisor on the restaurant in 2013.

The previous Pure Meals and Wine proprietor admitted within the docuseries that she had ‘somewhat little bit of remorse’ that she by no means pursued a relationship with Baldwin earlier than he fell for Hilaria.

Hilaria, who married Baldwin in 2012, opened up about their first assembly that very same yr, saying the actor had approached her and given her his card.

‘I used to be standing close to the door [of Pure Food and Wine restaurant] with my mates when he walked up and took my hand and mentioned, ‘I need to know you,” she instructed Us Weekly.

Baldwin additionally mirrored on the second he first laid eyes on his spouse in a heartfelt Instagram submit in 2019.

Within the Netflix documentary Melngailis claimed that Strangis conned her into funneling her restaurant’s funds to him by promising to increase her meals empire and likewise make her beloved canine immortal.

From January 2014 to January 2015, Melngailis transferred greater than $1.6 million from the enterprise accounts to her private checking account.

Each took cash from buyers, did not pay $400,000 in taxes and spent greater than $2 million at Foxwoods and Mohegan Solar Casinos.

Additionally they dropped $80,00 on dear watches and $70,000 on journeys to Europe and $10,000 in Uber rides, based on an indictment.

Hassle started on the restaurant initially of 2015 when 60 workers members mentioned she had missed payroll 5 occasions, and subsequently staged a number of walkouts and protests.

Melngailis defined to workers the delay in fee was as a consequence of altering banks, however she instructed {a magazine} that very same month it was due to the restaurant’s money owed and the excessive price of premium elements.

In Could 2015, she and Strangis disappeared with the cash and the restaurant closed completely in July of that yr.

In response to the documentary, Strangis had Melngailis strive on an $800,000 engagement ring at Tiffany’s.

Melngailis met Baldwin on the restaurant, they usually grew to become quick mates. Journalist Allen Salkin claimed the actor had a ‘crush’ on the vegan chef 

She fell underneath the spell of her ex-husband Anthony Strangis, who allegedly gained her belief by interacting with Baldwin on Twitter 

Hassle started on the restaurant initially of 2015 when 60 workers members mentioned they weren’t being paid and subsequently staged a number of walkouts and protests 

 In 2015, Melngailis and Strangis disappeared and spent a yr on the run. After her arrest, she pled responsible to stealing from an investor, scheming to defraud, and prison tax fraud fees

The New York restaurant was an evening life hotspot that was beloved for its uncooked meals vegan recipes 

They have been caught by authorities on Could 12, 2016, after Strangis used his actual title to order a non-vegan cheese pizza and buffalo wings from Domino’s to their resort room in Sevierville, Tennessee.

In Could 2017, Melngailis pleaded responsible to stealing greater than $200,000 from an investor and scheming to defraud, in addition to prison tax fraud fees.

She was sentenced to 4 months in New York’s infamous Rikers jail, and was hit with a $1million lawsuit from her former staff. As a part of her punishment, she was additionally ordered to repay $1.5million in restitution funds.

Strangis pleaded responsible to 4 counts of grand larceny within the fourth diploma and was sentenced to 1 yr in jail and 5 years’ probation.

He needed to repay $840,000 to buyers, strolling free after having already spent a yr behind bars at Rikers.

Melngailis filed for divorce from Strangis in Could 2018, and a yr later, she mentioned she needed to get her model again, however had no plans as to tips on how to make this a actuality.