Chef Jose Garces won a victory late Tuesday when a federal judge allowed most of his bankruptcy case to proceed, paving the way for a sale of much of his restaurant empire, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Bankruptcy Judge Jerrold N. Poslusny said that operating agreements for Amada, Village Whiskey, Tinto, and the Olde Bar allowed Garces to file for bankruptcy protection over the objections of two of his early investors, food distributor Jim Sorkin and a New Jersey couple, Tom and Maria Spinner. Judge Poslusny also ruled that Garces did not have authority to file on behalf of Buena Onda, his taqueria. Sorkin also owns a small percentage of that restaurant.
