An eccentric customer, who enjoyed a gumbo and a beer at Blue 44, a restaurant in upper Northwest Washington, left a $2,000 tip on a $93 bill, the Washington Post reports.
The owner of the four-year-old restaurant, Christofer Nardelli, said the man left the tip on May 25 after he and a friend ate fried chicken, gumbo and the patron’s favorite brew — Old Chub Scotch Ale.
After the men left the restaurant, bartender Laura Dally noticed something unusual.
She picked up the bill holder and noticed that inside was the credit card slip with a $2,000 tip, including details of how it should be divided among the three: $1,000 for chef James Turner and $500 each for the bartender and Christofer Nardelli.
The customer also wrote: “Thank you for the gumbo!”
According to the restaurant’s owner, the customer lives in the area and frequents the bar a few times a month. He is partial to the restaurant’s gumbo, chicken and andouille sausage base with a dark roux.
The customer and his friend ordered the Monday night special – a three-course meal of salad, fried chicken and dessert – with gumbo interspersed throughout, the bartender said.
Christofer Nardelli said he plans to use his money to help offset his toddler’s monthly day-care bill and believes chef James Turner will spend his money on his family as well.
Bartender Laura Dally, 29, said she plans to use her $500 to pay for a summer class at Montgomery College. She is working to become an occupational therapist.
