Austin Diner Left $1,300 Tip at Restaurant on First Day of Reopened Dine-In Service

Massive Tip on First Day of Reopened Dine-In Service
A diner left a $1,300 tip at Steiner Ranch tapas/steakhouse restaurant Frog & the Bull, as reported by CBS Austin, on Friday, May 1, the first day restaurants were allowed to reopen their dining rooms for dine-in service. Owner David Hernandez told the publication that the man wanted to be charged double his total amount, and then added the tip on top of that. He also wrote “Good luck” on the receipt. $1000 was for the restaurant and $300 for the server. Under the executive order, restaurants were able to reopen for dine-in service at 25 percent capacity for the time being.

Best New Restaurants List
Magazine publication GQ released its list of the best restaurants of the year in the country, and included is upscale new-school shabu-shabu restaurant DipDipDip Tatsu-ya. Writer Brett Martin praised the thoughtful space, describing each seat as a “tiny shabu-office, compact and ingenious as a Japanese toilet,” as well as the activity of dipping and cooking foods (“pink and alabaster ribbons of Texas wagyu and Kurobuta pork;” “dumplings with delicate skin stretched around a core of mushroom and cheese”). Upscale Mexican restaurant Comedor got a shoutout in the introduction as one of the restaurants that almost made the list. DipDipDip opened in June 2019, and Eater Austin awarded it restaurant of the year at the end of 2019.

Farmers Market Fundraiser
Because of the impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Texas Farmers Market, which is still running, is looking to raise $30,000 by the end of July. The nonprofit Austin-area farmers market shared its operating budget has dropped by 60 percent and it needs more funds in order to keep functioning safely. Donation options range from sponsoring a bottle of hand shop at $5 to a week of hand sanitizer at $60 to face shields for staffers at $250.

Free Meals for Teachers
The very charitable Tso Chinese Delivery is adding a teacher-focused initiative this month. #50kForTeachers will give away $50 of food to 1,000 teachers during May. Potential recipients can apply through its website.

Blue Bell Creamery’s Listeria Conspiracy Charge
Former Blue Bell Creamery CEO Paul Kruse is facing felony charges over alleged conditions that led to the ice cream company’s listeria outbreak in 2015, as reported by the Statesman. Kruse allegedly led “a cover-up to hide ‘potential and/or confirmed listeria contamination in Blue Bell products from certain Blue Bell customers,’” according to the publication and the U.S. Justice Department. The company pleaded guilty to shipping listeria-contaminated ice cream, which means it will have to pay $19.35 million in fines and settlements.