Jimmy Bannos Jr., the award-winning chef behind Purple Pig — the acclaimed downtown Chicago restaurant — has been charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident that happened in September after the popular Chicago Gourmet food festival in Millennium Park. A line cook from Mi Tocaya Antojeria said Bannos Jr. punched him after an ancillary event for the fest on the night of Saturday, September 28.

The day after the incident, Mi Tocaya workers and friends posted about it on social media. According to Mi Tocaya chef and owner Diana Dávila and a statement from Chicago Gourmet officials, the incident happened along Randolph Street, near the festival’s grounds. After much back and forth between police throughout October, Bannos Jr. turned himself in on Saturday and was charged. A misdemeanor battery charge comes with a maximum year in prison and $2,500 fine.

The cook that Bannos Jr. allegedly attacked, Alan Mares, said they have a court date on December 16. Mares alleges Bannos Jr. punched him in the jaw after he tried to break up an altercation between Bannos Jr. and a coworker. He didn’t immediately seek medical attention. Mares said he spoke with police around a week after the incident. A month later, Mares said on Sunday he was happy that Bannos was being held accountable.

“I really just want anyone that has any allegations against him to come forward,” Mares said.

Purple Pig is the downtown staple helmed by Bannos, the 2014 James Beard Rising Star Chef winner. The restaurant recently moved into a new Michigan Avenue location. Mi Tocaya is an acclaimed Mexican restaurant in Logan Square helmed by Dávila, Eater Chicago’s 2017 Chef of the Year. Staff from both restaurants were competing in a Chicago Gourmet-related event called the Big Chill(i): Gourmet Chili Cook-Off. The cook-off took place on September 28 at the Harris Theater Rooftop that neighbors Millennium Park to the north. The event started at 8 p.m. and ended around 11 p.m.

Mares said the argument was triggered after another Mi Tocaya worker bumped into Bannos Jr., who was bringing a steam table down the stairs leading to the south side of Randolph after the cook-off ended. Dávila said she tried to deescalate the situation after she heard arguing. She had no history with Bannos Jr. and said the chef politely introduced himself to her earlier in the evening. That mood changed later in the night, Dávila said.

“He was intense, very, very intense,” she said. “Just picking on my employees; he was just completely ridiculous.”

Mares and Dávila said Bannos Jr. charged at one of the workers, with Dávila stuck in Bannos Jr.’s path. Mares said he ran in between the two. Mares said that during that scrum, Bannos Jr. allegedly punched and connected with his jaw. After the alleged punch, three members of Bannos Jr.’s team intervened, Mares said. Dávila said Bannos Jr.’s staff stepped in and escorted him away from the scene and eventually into a car that departed Randolph Street. Dávila was adamant that her staff did not take any swings at Bannos Jr. Mares said the incident lasted about 20 minutes. Another of Dávila’s employees corroborated his coworkers’s description of events and had posted an account of the incident in a now-deleted Instagram post.

According to a spokesperson, Bannos Jr. did not dispute Dávila’s account. Bannos Jr. issued a statement on Sunday.

“On Saturday evening, September 28, I was confronted by multiple individuals on Randolph Street. I felt threatened during the exchange, which escalated quickly, and acted in self-defense. I remain troubled by the incident and regret its occurrence.”

The Illinois Restaurant Association, the lobbyist group made up of restaurant owners, helps coordinate Chicago Gourmet every year. Members have been aware of the incident for about a month. The association issued its own statement on Sunday night after Bannos Jr.’s arrest.

“Chicago Gourmet has a long history of successfully showcasing Chicago’s vibrant culinary scene through its annual festival. Organizers are aware of an incident that occurred after an ancillary event on Saturday, September 28. We take this situation seriously and we will continue to insist that all vendors and participants act responsibly at all times. We understand that the Chicago Police Department may be looking into this incident and Chicago Gourmet will cooperate with any investigation.”

Both Bannos Jr. and Mi Tocaya workers were Chicago Gourmet participants and seated near each other earlier on the day of the incident. The festival draws thousands to downtown Chicago to sample food and drink from local chefs and vineyards across the country.

Chefs chatted with fans and handed out food. Dávila and her team members also gave away bumper stickers that read “no human is illegal.” That statement particularly rings true for Mares; he’s a DACA recipient. He and Dávila said they worried how law enforcement agents would treat them under this political climate where ICE raids make headlines. That’s another reason Mares wanted to avoid violence. He didn’t want to draw police activity that could place him in legal jeopardy.

“As a young, undocumented Latino male, I didn’t feel safe in this situation,” said Mares, who is also a Chicago restaurant vet and has worked for acclaimed chefs Jason Hammel (Lula Cafe) and John Manion (El Che Steakhouse & Bar).

Nonetheless, Mares wants to speak out because he said he feels Chicago Gourmet should be welcoming, and that after seeing Bannos Jr.’s temper that “people like him should not be allowed to work anywhere near events like that.” Mares questioned Illinois Restaurant Association’s leadership and said it should have taken the incident more seriously. He said the association didn’t reach out to Mi Tocaya. That frustrated restaurant staff who felt they deserved more support and left them with the feeling that the organization was protecting Bannos Jr.

Bannos Jr. has a new location, Purple Cow, pegged to open inside the upcoming Time Out Market food hall in Fulton Market. His father, Jimmy Bannos Sr., is the respected restaurateur behind the Heaven on Seven Cajun restaurants.

Crain’s first reported news of the arrest.