Former 'Top Chef' Contestant Dale Talde Sued For $3.5 Million

A new lawsuit alleges that former Top Chef contestant Dale Talde secretly cheated his partners out of millions of dollars. According to the New York Daily News, the 38-year-old is accused of using payroll and equipment from his New York City restaurant Atlantic Social to financially further other businesses.

Talde opened Atlantic Social with brothers George and Steve Menexas in February 2016. The new eatery replaced a Tony Roma's restaurant the Menexases previously ran in the same space. Over time, Atlantic Social began to perform poorly in comparison to Talde's other ventures, and by June 2017, the two realized that mismanagement and other economic factors were not to blame. On Sept. 12, the Menexas brothers filed a lawsuit within the Brooklyn Supreme Court, asking that the defendants — Talde and two other associates — surrender $3.5 million. "In reality, defendants were simply operating Atlantic Social to benefit their other ventures," the lawsuit says.

Talde's operating group, Three Kings Restaurant Group, turned up their noses to the allegation. "This entire complaint is preposterous. We look forward to resolving this matter in arbitration, which is what the parties' contracts require," they told the New York Daily News, whose report also notes two lawsuits in which the Menexases are or were defendants: a restaurant supplier is currently seeking $60,639 from Atlantic Social over an unpaid bill, and a former Tony Roma's employee sued the Menexases in 2014, claiming she was not paid overtime.

A lawyer for Three Kings told the Daily News the Menexases' lawsuit was a "bad faith effort to besmirch Dale Talde's reputation in the press." The bitter conflict may continue to unfold publicly, just like these 10 crazy celebrity chef feuds.