Latest news with #Malli
Los Angeles Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
A Virgil Village destination for natural wine and pop-up chefs to close permanently
Melody, the Virgil Village bungalow that constantly thrummed with diners who settled into its open-air living room and patio to try burgeoning food pop-ups, swill natural wine and jam to owner Eric Tucker's genre-spanning DJ sets, is set to close permanently on July 12. Open for nearly a decade, Tucker wants Melody to be remembered not for its status as a trendy bar, but for its inclusive environment that thrived on the curiosity of its diners. 'We were that cultural [and] gender safe space where you could be whoever you wanted to be,' Tucker said, 'exposing people to foods that they maybe never had before and giving chefs those chances to shine.' According to Tucker, Melody began to see a decline in business during the Hollywood strikes in 2023. Combined with the compounding effects of the January wildfires, a tense political climate and L.A.'s high cost of living, the bar-restaurant 'just couldn't do it anymore.' 'I don't see how places survive anymore,' Tucker said. 'I've never done this before, closing a business. But I think one of the most special things for me is, how do I get out of this thing without losing it all?' Prior to Melody, Tucker ran an Italian restaurant and bar in New York City. He opened Melody with his ex-wife Paloma Rabinov in 2017, and at first, the wine bar followed a typical dinner service format with a California- and French-inspired menu. But less than a year later, Melody's financial struggles prompted him and Rabinov to shift to a rotating pop-up format. They began hosting different chefs for days and weeks at a time — Mexican-Jewish pop-up Malli even earned a two-year residency — with a short house menu offering cheese, charcuterie and other bar snacks. Within the first few years of opening, Tucker began growing Melody's wine list, which consists entirely of natural, low-intervention wines sourced from all over the world, with bottles available for retail purchase and many priced under $80. Tucker described that time as Melody's 'golden years.' Customers drank bottles of wine in the parking lot while waiting for hours to get in, where it was a 'party every night.' The goal was to offer diners something new, and to give rising chefs, many of whom had yet to open their own restaurants, a space to experiment — all complemented, of course, by great wine. 'We weren't a restaurant. We weren't a bar,' read Melody's Instagram post announcing the closure. 'Thanks to each of you who entered our little bungalow … a unique experience-experiment that was always a best kept secret.' Tucker hopes to preserve Melody's carefree, communal spirit when he temporarily reopens the space on July 16 while awaiting a buyer for the bungalow. 'Each night is essentially a 'rent party,'' a Monday Instagram post from Melody read. 'Very few rules with cheap prices may encourage you to stick with me 6 nights a week.' Along with 'maybe only one' other employee, Tucker will be the sole staff at Melody when it reopens. He will be making and serving pizzas as his pop-up alter ego Ugly Pie, which has made previous appearances at Melody — though some customers weren't aware that the pop-up was run by Tucker himself. He said that he is prepared to operate the restaurant this way — making the food himself with few to no other employees — 'if I have to,' whether it lasts for two weeks or two years. 'Melody was a really formative place for me to get my feet wet in terms of tasting a bunch of different wines, ' said Princie Kim, a longtime Melody customer who also works in the local wine industry. 'There's no air of pretension in there ... Most nights of the week, I want to feel taken care of, but in a very relaxed and very human, raw way — and Melody gives me that in all ways.' For its final days of regular service, Melody will serve Ugly Pie on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by burgers and fried chicken pop-up Little Piggy on Friday and Hancock Park butcher shop Standing's Butchery on Saturday. While Tucker is unsure how long Melody's temporary reopening will last, he plans to leave Los Angeles afterwards and possibly return to New York. 'It was always really rewarding to look across the room and just see all different types of people in here together,' Tucker said. 'We weren't perfect, but it wasn't supposed to be.'
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Business Standard
10-06-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
CBI arrests CGST superintendent, seizes 17 property documents worth crores
The CBI has arrested a Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) superintendent in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly accepting a Rs 1 lakh bribe for waiving penalty on a private company, officials said. During searches at the premises of Nishan Singh Malli post arrest, the CBI seized 17 property documents, in his and his family members' name, worth crores. "These properties include three residential flats in Ghaziabad and Moradabad; one commercial shop in Moradabad; 12 residential plots in Rampur and Gajraula. One Creta vehicle in the name of accused public servant was also seized," a CBI spokesperson on Tuesday said. Rs 3 lakh in cash aside from the alleged bribe amount of Rs 3 lakh was confiscated during the searches, the CBI added. "During search of official premise of accused public servant, relevant documents pertaining to the case were seized and are being scrutinised," the spokesperson added. The other person arrested by the agency is a tax lawyer who was representing the complainant in the case, the agency said. Both were produced before a special court in Ghaziabad which remanded them to judicial custody. CGST Superintendent Malli allegedly issued a penalty notice to a businessman, who controls the private firm, on account of non-filing of GST returns. Malli, who is posted in Gajraula with additional charge of Amroha in UP, allegedly demanded Rs 4 lakh in collusion with tax lawyer Amit Khandelwal from the businessman for waiving penalty on his company. "The tax advocate was representing the complainant. However, he entered into a conspiracy with superintendent, CGST, Amroha and pressured the complainant to deliver the demand of undue advantage of Rs 4 lakh to the accused superintendent," the CBI spokesperson said. Reluctant to pay the bribe, the businessman approached the CBI with a complaint, the CBI said. The agency claimed of laying a trap following which the superintendent and the advocate were caught red handed receiving Rs 1 lakh as an installment of the total bribe demand of Rs 4 lakh.
The Print
10-06-2025
- The Print
CBI arrests CGST superintendent, seizes assets worth crores
'These properties include three residential flats in Ghaziabad and Moradabad; one commercial shop in Moradabad; 12 residential plots in Rampur and Gajraula. One Creta vehicle in the name of accused public servant was also seized,' a CBI spokesperson on Tuesday said. During searches at the premises of Nishan Singh Malli post arrest, the CBI seized 17 property documents, in his and his family members' name, worth crores. New Delhi, Jun 10 (PTI) The CBI has arrested a Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) superintendent in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly accepting a Rs 1 lakh bribe for waiving penalty on a private company, officials said. Rs 3 lakh in cash aside from the alleged bribe amount of Rs 3 lakh was confiscated during the searches, the CBI added. 'During search of official premise of accused public servant, relevant documents pertaining to the case were seized and are being scrutinised,' the spokesperson added. The other person arrested by the agency is a tax lawyer who was representing the complainant in the case, the agency said. Both were produced before a special court in Ghaziabad which remanded them to judicial custody. CGST Superintendent Malli allegedly issued a penalty notice to a businessman, who controls the private firm, on account of non-filing of GST returns. Malli, who is posted in Gajraula with additional charge of Amroha in UP, allegedly demanded Rs 4 lakh in collusion with tax lawyer Amit Khandelwal from the businessman for waiving penalty on his company. 'The tax advocate was representing the complainant. However, he entered into a conspiracy with superintendent, CGST, Amroha and pressured the complainant to deliver the demand of undue advantage of Rs 4 lakh to the accused superintendent,' the CBI spokesperson said. Reluctant to pay the bribe, the businessman approached the CBI with a complaint, the CBI said. The agency claimed of laying a trap following which the superintendent and the advocate were caught red handed receiving Rs 1 lakh as an installment of the total bribe demand of Rs 4 lakh. PTI ABS ABS AMK AMK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
CBI arrests CGST superintendent, seizes assets worth crores
New Delhi, The CBI has arrested a Central Goods and Services Tax superintendent in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly accepting a ₹1 lakh bribe for waiving penalty on a private company, officials said. During searches at the premises of Nishan Singh Malli post arrest, the CBI seized 17 property documents, in his and his family members' name, worth crores. "These properties include three residential flats in Ghaziabad and Moradabad; one commercial shop in Moradabad; 12 residential plots in Rampur and Gajraula. One Creta vehicle in the name of accused public servant was also seized," a CBI spokesperson on Tuesday said. ₹3 lakh in cash aside from the alleged bribe amount of ₹3 lakh was confiscated during the searches, the CBI added. "During search of official premise of accused public servant, relevant documents pertaining to the case were seized and are being scrutinised," the spokesperson added. The other person arrested by the agency is a tax lawyer who was representing the complainant in the case, the agency said. Both were produced before a special court in Ghaziabad which remanded them to judicial custody. CGST Superintendent Malli allegedly issued a penalty notice to a businessman, who controls the private firm, on account of non-filing of GST returns. Malli, who is posted in Gajraula with additional charge of Amroha in UP, allegedly demanded ₹4 lakh in collusion with tax lawyer Amit Khandelwal from the businessman for waiving penalty on his company. "The tax advocate was representing the complainant. However, he entered into a conspiracy with superintendent, CGST, Amroha and pressured the complainant to deliver the demand of undue advantage of ₹4 lakh to the accused superintendent," the CBI spokesperson said. Reluctant to pay the bribe, the businessman approached the CBI with a complaint, the CBI said. The agency claimed of laying a trap following which the superintendent and the advocate were caught red handed receiving ₹1 lakh as an installment of the total bribe demand of ₹4 lakh.
The Print
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Print
CBI arrests UP CGST superintendent in bribery case
CGST superintendent Nishan Singh Malli had allegedly issued penalty notice to a businessman, who controls the private company, on account of non-filing of GST returns. The other person arrested by the agency is a tax lawyer who was representing the complainant in the case, they said. New Delhi, Jun 9 (PTI) The CBI has arrested two persons, including a superintendent of Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) in Uttar Pradesh, while allegedly accepting bribe of Rs 1 lakh for waiving off penalty on a private company, officials said Monday. Malli, who is posted at Gajrola with additional charge of Amroha in UP, demanded Rs 4 lakh in collusion with tax lawyer Amit Khandelwal from the businessman for waiving off penalty on his company, they said. 'The tax advocate was representing the complainant. However, he entered into a conspiracy with superintendent, CGST, Amroha and pressured the complainant to deliver the demand of undue advantage of Rs 4 lakh to the accused superintendent,' a CBI spokesperson said. The businessman approached the CBI with a complaint expressing unwillingness to pay the bribe, the spokesperson said in a statement. The agency laid a trap during which the superintendent and the advocate were arrested red handed taking Rs 1 lakh as the first instalment of the total Rs 4 lakh demanded as bribe, the statement said. PTI ABS KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
