Its been awhile since I posted an update here. A lot has happened and still a lot of answers are needed. As you may or may not know, at the time of his death Raj was very close to opening his very own restaurant in Austin Texas. Last week, Feb 8th was a chance for friends and family to get a sneak peak into his amazing vision and today, Feb 15th is the grand opening. I was lucky enough to get the invite and be able to check it out first hand. Raj would have been so dam proud of this place and I am not just saying this because he was my good friend, but for real, this place is amazing you all need to try to find a way to get there. If you’re a fan of fine dining, check out their menu(link below), it will blow your socks off. My top picks are the Salpicon De Pulpo, Amberjack Crudo, Sea Food Tower, 28 Day Dry Aged Texas Ribeye and the Prime Filet Milon; however, after trying everything on the menu over a 3 day extravaganza (just the way Rajan would like it), I can easily say its all good. The best part is, there is an underground tequila bar to keep the party going after dinner. https://www.emberatx.com/menu-ember
Coincidentally, today, on the same day as the grand opening for Rajans restaurant, a group of friends and family banded together to speak at a special call meeting for the Austin City Council. The main issue was the labor contract with the Austin Police. Long story short, because of the efforts of everyone involved, and especially people like Bryan Crow, Andrew Harris, Johann Moonesinghe, Matt and Michael Saeta, Derek Keller, Jon De Wolff, Ruth, Kavan, and a few others, the resolution was passed and its highly likely there will be more oversight and accountability for Austin PD. It’s a huge win that the police fought very hard to to prevent and it is a reason for celebration as Rajans legacy and story is already starting to create real change for the police. You can watch the meeting here - https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/208390 - skip to 1:27:26.
The road ahead is one that will be difficult and hard as we continue to re-live the events that happened on Nov 15th as we fight for change. The support from everyone who signed this petition has inspired a lot of people. Thank you all again for your support. Please follow the website set up for Raj for more frequent updates and to donate towards his foundation - www.justice4raj.org
Have a good night
Tripp Sherrod
Friend of Rajan Moonesinghe