What Is Bad Vegan's Sarma Melngailis Doing Now?

In the latest true-crime drama to hit Netflix, "Bad Vegan," the limited series walks viewers through the astounding rise and fall of Sarma Melngailis and her New York hotspot, Pure Food and Wine. Though the series ends by revealing that Melngailis served three and a half months in prison and that she spoke with her now-ex-husband, Anthony Strangis, upon being released, there is a lot left to uncover. 

After facing backlash from people who knew her, and admitted that they would be hesitant to invest if she were to open a new restaurant, Melngailis contemplated opening a restaurant, although the idea has yet to come into fruition. And, when it comes to controversy, her drama didn't end with her prison stint. In fact, during a 2019 interview with the New York Post, Melngailis sparked scandal when she admitted to inappropriate relationships with two New York lawyers, including her attorney, Jeffrey Lichtman, who was married with two kids.

According to the New York Post, Melngailis was living with a friend in Harlem while subletting her own apartment in 2019. But she had plans to leave the city in order to write her memoir, though she knew she would return to New York. "It's easier to live quietly outside of the city," she told the New York Post. "If there was some magical opportunity to open the same restaurant in the same place, I would do it in a heartbeat. I think New York would take me back," she added. 

Now, a few years later, Melngailis appears to be living a peaceful life with her dog Leon, though she did say she's been "anxious lately" in an Instagram post. Her other posts include reading lots of books, sharing what vegan meals she is making and eating at home, recording a podcast, trying out cryotherapy, and spending lots of time with Leon, of course. 

"Bad Vegan" begins streaming on Netflix on March 16.