When the trailer for Netflix’s documentary series on the demise of raw vegan fine dining restaurant Pure Food and Wine called Bad Vegan dropped, a highlight was the seemingly shocking notion of a “meat suit,” which had never been mentioned before in the media in the context of Sarma Melngailis and Anthony Strangis. Not only did Anthony bring down Pure Food and Wine by gambling away all the money, he also convinced Sarma that he was an immortal black ops C.I.A agent who had met her in past lifetimes and wanted to help her live forever too. Take in account that Pure Food and Wine was a vegan restaurant, and the idea of a “meat suit” being part of the mix excites the imagination. This has to be spicy.
Former Pure Food and Wine manager Bonnie Crocker’s response, when asked about the meat suit, is what really sparked the intrigue in the trailer. “What is the meat suit?” she asks incredulously before proclaiming “I’m gonna need a minute.” She then laughs from the shock and absurdity of the mystery of the “meat suit” while she buries her face in her hands.
So, what is the meat suit?
The truth about the meat suit isn’t quite as shocking as expected, but it does seem to tie into the strange cult-like world Anthony Strangis had built to keep Sarma Melngailis and her money in his grasp. Thankfully, there was no strange “meat-suit” ritual involving something like Lady Gaga’s 2010 MTV music awards ensemble.
Sarma and Anthony met on Twitter because Anthony was exchanging tweets with Sarma’s friend Alec Baldwin. They eventually took their friendship to Words with Friends, where they continued to grow close with their words. When they met, Sarma was shocked that Anthony was overweight, but overlooked it because she was so taken in with the bond they’d created. As their relationship progressed and he started to take over Sarma’s life, he continued to gain weight, which was a turn-off for her.
Anthony was building a cult-like fantasy world for himself and Sarma, however, that kept her intrigued. He’d entice her with the idea that he was immortal, a non-human spiritual being, and had a way to make both Sarma and her dog Leon immortal too. For now, though, he’d refer to Sarma as a TBH, or “tiny blonde human”to remind her that she wasn’t yet on his level.
He told her that he was gaining weight on purpose as a test, and that she was supposed to be disgusted by his “meat suit.”
He claimed that his rather large “meat suit” or body, was part of the larger, spiritual plan and that he was supposed to be unappealing to her. One day, however, he would magically change out of his meat suit before her eyes and show up on a unicorn before her. Even in 2019, two years after Sarma was released from prison, she spoke with Anthony about the real possibility that he would shapeshift in front of her one day.
