Judge Has Ordered the Gutted Avila's on Maple Be Returned to the Way It Was By Today

By Robert Wilonsky Fri., Feb. 19 2010 at 9:34 AM

Categories: Dish

Ricardo Avila with Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives last year

The legal wrangling over the fate of Avila's on Maple Avenue will continue this afternoon at the George Allen Courts Building: Judge Ken Molberg has ordered Ricardo Avila appear in his courtroom at 1:30 p.m. To many, Ricardo's the public face of the beloved 25-year-old Mexican restaurant; he's also the man who gutted it Sunday after a dispute with his family, which claims it stepped in to run the place after customer complaints concerning food quality and service.

Molberg signed a temporary restraining order filed Thursday on behalf of Ricardo's 88-year-old mother Anita, who started the restaurant with her husband in 1986 and who hopes to have it reopened in a few weeks. In short: Ricardo has 24 hours to return all the items from the restaurant and kitchen he yanked out of there on Sunday.

Bill DeLoney, the attorney representing Anita Avila, said when reached this morning that "it's inappropriate for me to say too much" concerning the case, since there is a hearing today. I'm in the process of gathering the all docs filed and signed Thursday and will update accordingly.

Update: After the jump you'll find both Anita Avila's petition filed yesterday, in which she claims Ricardo and manager-chef Peter Tarantino "aggressively" discouraged her from coming into the restaurant, and Molberg's order, which says Ricardo has till 3:35 p.m. today to "restore all property and tangible things taken or removed from 4714 Maple Avenue ... to their original location, position and condition."
Anita Avila v Ricardo Enterprises

Temporary Restraining Order Against Ricardo Avila

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