Chef's Table At Brooklyn Fare Closes, Chef Demands Millions: Suit

BROOKLYN, NY — The Michelin-starred Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare shut down this summer amid a dramatic court battle between owner and head chef, both of whom threw around accusations that the other funneled cash out of the business, according to court records and reports.

Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare owner Moe Issa, named in a July lawsuit filed by the restaurant's long-term chef, confirmed Tuesday two new chefs will replace Cesar Ramirez when the eatery reopens in October.

The New York Post reported in July that Ramirez could also be moving on from his Brooklyn glory with a new lease near SoHo.

But Ramirez is still holding out hope on millions in restitution, court records show.

The 14-year chef says he was dismissed "without cause" in July — a decision he says will cost the restaurant tens of millions of dollars in missed payments and damages, court records show.

Ramirez's celebrated menu raked in $430 per head and booked up months in advance, Insider reported. The restaurant opened in Brooklyn in 2009 and eventually moved to Hell's Kitchen.

But the ugly restaurant battle has left a significant smear on the New York institution — and even left excited customers stranded.

Ramirez claims he has been denied agreed-upon salaries totaling $12,757 a week, the suit states. Issa denies this accusation, saying the two had agreed on a new pay structure for tax purposes, court records show.

All the while, owner Issa accused Ramirez of stealing goods and plotting a new venture despite being a 25 percent shareholder in the restaurant — claims Ramirez says are "false and malicious," court records show.

In an affidavit, Issa accuses Ramirez of taking nearly $400,000 in goods. Goods Ramirez claims he purchased and loaned to the restaurant, he said in the lawsuit.

"After I confronted Ramirez about his theft in July, he confessed in a recorded telephone call that he had taken this property and that he would return all of it," Issa said in an affidavit. "He never returned any of it."

Issa also denied Ramirez's claims that he had embezzled and misappropriated huge amounts of money, court records show.

But as the drama unfolds, Issa is charging forward. Reservations have already opened for the swanky eatery's reopening.

"Our future is bright, and we look forward to all of you being part of it," Issa said on the restaurant's website.