Michael Chiarello's Estate Just Filed a Lawsuit Against Its (Now) Former Restaurant Bottega

Eater

2 days ago

The estate of chef Michael Chiarello, seen here in 2015, filed a lawsuit against the chef's restaurant Bottega, in Yountville. Chiarello passed away in 2023. Getty Images
The estate of influential wine country chef Michael Chiarello has filed a lawsuit against the restaurant started by the late chef and his wife, Eileen Gordon. The Chiarello estate and their company, Gruppo Chiarello, have filed a complaint against Bottega in Yountville, according to an Instagram post on Tuesday, July 15, announcing the litigation. A statement from Gordonalleges 'wrong-doing surrounding this very unfortunate 18-months in which important assets were stripped from [Chiarello's] Estate and separated from his legacy.' Michael died in October 2023 from an undisclosed severe allergic reaction.
A press release on behalf of the Chiarello family details the lawsuit filed on Monday, July 14, in the Superior Court of Napa County is seeking 'declaratory and injunctive relief and damages.' The defendants are former Disney studio chief Richard Frank, John Hansen, Peter Crowley, JH Capital Partners II, LP, and Monte Savello Limited Partnership, all financial investors in the restaurant. The plaintiff's claim in the filing that the defendants participated in 'a campaign of coercion, fraud, and interference to try to trick, intimidate, and pressure Chef Chiarello's Estate to surrender to Defendants' efforts to wrest control of the valuable assets rightfully belonging to Chef Chiarello's Estate.'
Bottega in Napa Valley's dining room. Bottega
The lengthy court filing and press release detail a scenario in which these minority stake owners allegedly set upon the Chiarello family with the goal of wresting further control and gaining money from the restaurant group and Chiarello's fame. The press release also details that the ownership group filed its own lawsuit in May 2024 against Gordon, Solo Io, and Gruppo Chiarello Inc., requesting a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. But when the court refused to grant relief, according to the press release, the investors pushed forward with arbitration, which led to Bottega and its associated menus, concepts, custom furnishings, and recipes (among other assets) to be sold to Frank and Hansen. In the Instagram post, Gordon writes that she and the Chiarello family are no longer associated with Bottega. The Chiarellos restaurants include Coqueta at Pier 5 and Bottega, Ottimo, and Coqueta in Yountville.
Eater attempted to reach out to representatives for JH Partners, Monte Savello, and directly to Bottega Napa but did not hear back at press time.
Chiarello, who grew up in the Central Valley, was a controversial figure by the time of his death in late 2023. Eater reported in 2016 that two former employees of Coqueta sued over an alleged 'sexually charged, hostile, and abusive environment.' That same year Gruppo Chiarello was sued over late pay and 'manipulated clocks and timesheets.' Then Chiarello was arrested in November 2016 for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance in Napa.
Still his dominance in Northern California restaurants cannot be overstated. At 24 years old, he became executive chef at St. Helena's Tra Vigne restaurant in 1987. His winery Chiarello Family Vineyards came next, then national stardom with his ​​Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello Food Network show. Coqueta on the water remains a San Francisco staple, as does Napa's Ottimo. 'Given the joy, laughter, and delicious moments he gave people for decades, how could we sit by in silence?' Gordon wrote in part.
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