Sarma Melngailis: podcast appearances and interviews

Sarma Melngailis is an American chef, cookbook author, and businesswoman known for her involvement in the vegan raw food restaurant industry in New York City. She was the owner and co-founder of Pure Food and Wine and One Lucky Duck, restaurants that were recognized in New York Magazine's Top 100 Restaurants and listed in Forbes' All Star New York Eateries for five consecutive years. Both establishments closed in 2016 after staff members left due to unpaid wages. Melngailis and her husband Anthony Strangis fled New York in 2016, but she was later tracked down and arrested in Tennessee. In 2017, she pleaded guilty to charges including grand larceny, scheming to defraud, and criminal tax fraud. She admitted to stealing over two million dollars from investors and employees. Melngailis spent approximately four months in jail as a result of her conviction.