After the local scandals caused by the bitter email war (described here and here) between a chef and a restaurant/club owner, here's a rumour that passed my way earlier today by way of an industry insider.

Apparently, said restaurant has had a little delinquency problem when it comes to paying its wine supplier for goods provided. The patient supplier, who is more concerned with receiving due payments than mudslinging for the enjoyment of the media world, offered multiple options and payment plans to the restaurant in order to settle the bad debt, but to no avail. Every other option exhausted, the supplier ended up having to send goons to storm the kitchens yesterday and reclaim something in the range of $120k worth of bottled booze (and word is that barely clears half the bar tab still owed).

The accused is hosting a crisis-management cocktail tonight (ahem, "sampling session with a chance to talk to management about the restaurant's products and philosophy") with the option to tour the restaurant's freezer-less kitchen. 

Well, at least it looks like they've paid their PR firm.