Dine with Kate Middleton; Starbucks Birthday Cake Frappuccinos Are Back

Six things to know right now

Happy Friday, America. As the premiere date for AMC's new restaurant-focused drama Feed the Beast nears its premiere date (May 31), the studio is ramping up marketing efforts. Above, a photo of star David Schwimmer sorting through cases of wine, as any busy restaurateur might.

In other news: how to dine with a duchess; fancy pants in the kitchen; the man who wrote the Mister Softee jingle has died; a popular Starbucks Frappuccino flavor is back; Mario Batali has some good advice for cooks; and more.

— How much would you pay to dine with the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton? According to the New York Post, a few tickets — with prices starting at $7,000 — are available for a June dinner in England that Middleton is rumored to be attending in support of a children's hospital. With that rumor comes the promise of guests bidding higher than the going rate for a seat with a royal, the Post notes.

— First there were fancy aprons. Now there are fancy chef pants designed for women's bodies, and they look pretty cool.

— Les Waas, the man who created Mister Softee's signature jingle, has died, according to the New York Times. Waas wrote the song in 1960; by 2014 it was named the most recognized ice cream truck song ever. In 2004, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to ban it in an effort to curb noise pollution, but popular opinion won out — turns out people love those twinkly notes.

— The New York Times editorial board wags a finger at McDonald's for posting aggressive profits while still paying the great majority of its workers unfair wages, and fighting legal efforts that would require McDonald's Corporation to mandate equitable pay for employees of franchises:

McDonald's, a leader in the restaurant and food service sector, is a target in the Fight for $15 movement to raise pay, and rightly so. Nearly 23 percent of workers in the sector are paid at or near the minimum wage, and raises have been feeble.

— Starbucks Birthday Cake Frappuccino is back for a limited time. The sweet drink is flavored with vanilla bean and hazelnut syrups and then topped with pink whipped cream. It is not, as some might like, topped with sprinkles. (Of note: Funfetti foods are in, while rainbow foods are out.

— Finally, Mario Batali on what cooks should do if they want to make a good impression on their first day at a new kitchen job:

show up early stay late, keep clean and watch the chef https://t.co/CRWburBk0I

— Mario Batali (@Mariobatali) April 28, 2016

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