Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, a tiny restaurant tucked away behind a supermarket, has been a New York cult favorite for over a decade. It's now closing due to a legal battle between the chef and the owner, headed for the courtroom. But it will reopen in October with an entirely revamped team.
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It seemed to be smooth sailing for Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare, a New York restaurant awarded three Michelin stars, considered one of the best in a city where high-level competition is fierce. Opened in 2009 in Brooklyn, it moved to Manhattan in 2016, occupying a small space tucked behind a supermarket, quickly becoming highly sought after. Despite the $430 menu price, reservations were booked months in advance. However, court documents astonishingly reveal that it closed in July amid a legal dispute between its chef and owner, as reported by The New York Times.
The concept featured a series of Japanese seafood using French cooking techniques. But what exactly happened suddenly that prompted owner Moneer Issa to fire chef César Ramirez on the spot? Ramirez filed a lawsuit, suing Issa and his company, Manhattan Fare Corp, alleging the illegality of the action and seeking tens of millions of dollars for defamation, unpaid wages, and other damages.
On the other hand, the owner's stated reason is that the chef had allegedly taken restaurant property worth over $100,000, including dishes, equipment, and wine cases. He had also allegedly incited some of the staff to leave the restaurant and join him in a new venture he was planning, in violation of agreements. Ramirez counters that he had purchased expensive equipment with his own funds, which he had lent to the restaurant without any commitment. Now comes the entirely unexpected news of closure, at least in its current form. Issa's spokesperson announces that the restaurant will reopen in October with an entirely new creative team, to be revealed later, capable of matching and even surpassing the restaurant's already high standards. There is, therefore, great curiosity surrounding the name of the new chef.
Cover photo: @Spencer Platt, Getty Images
