Famous Food

In the photos -- taken during the last week of June -- Mel shot a bothered look at the camera as a group of "fans" who recognized the star at the restaurant swarm him. Mel was at the restaurant because it's near the set of a movie he was shooting ... and really, who can resist their signature babyback ribs?

We're told Mel was "being really nice at first" ... but then "started to get a little annoyed" after several autograph and photo requests.

Days after these photos were taken, news broke that baby mama Oksana Grigoieva had secret recordings which allegedly captured Mel spewing racial and sexist hate towards her.

With Snooki supervising, Paula felt up Sitch's shaved smooth chest backstage at a rehearsal for the CMT Music Awards in Nashville on Wednesday.

Law enforcement sources tell us the D.A. and the cops are well aware of the Shakespearean drama between Juan-Carlos and his wife, Jennifer Campbell. TMZ broke the story that Campbell has been despondent for years over the couple's inability to have kids -- and she told members of her church and others she wanted to end her life, but her religion views suicide as a mortal sin.

Sources say Juan-Carlos was making a feeble attempt to end his wife's life and then kill himself, by trying to hire 3 homeless men to murder his wife. We're told the cops and prosecutors believe this was Cruz's MO.

We're told because of the circumstances ... in a plea bargain the D.A. would be inclined to dismiss the attempted murder charge. In return, we're told, the D.A. would be open to a guilty or no contest plea to solicitation to commit murder, which carries a 3 to 9-year sentence.

Denver Broncos defensive lineman Jamal Williams will drop hundreds of dollars to go where the buffalo roam ... as in chicken.

Last weekend Williams and 5 friends rolled into Maryjane's Coffee Shop in the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego at 3 AM ... closing time.

Our poultry spies say Williams -- who just signed a $16 million contract -- promised the staff he'd make it worth their while if they keep the joint hopping so his crew could chow down on burgers, buffalo wings and fries.

Jamal left each of the 6 employees a crispy $100 bill.

Paula Deen's good name has been slandered, and she's filthy rich -- this is what TMZ has learned from a lawsuit filed by Paula Deen Enterprises.

It seems the Food Network star made a deal with Celebrity Chefs Tour to do cooking demonstrations before live audiences in various cities. Short story: Paula's company claims the $150,000 advance she was supposed to get bounced, and after waiting for full payment she walked away, claiming Celeb Chefs Tour breached the agreement.

Paula claims Celeb Chefs Tour defamed her by making it seem she bailed for no good reason.

But here's what's interesting: Aside from the $150,000 advance, Paula's deal would have guaranteed her $130,000 for each event which featured her in two culinary performances.

We've learned after the Emmys on Sunday night, Tracy and his date directed their limousine driver to the home of the cheapest square burger in Los Angeles -- Wendy's.

Tracy hopped out of the limo to personally pick his poison from the drive-thru menu -- including two orders of delicious french fries.

The best way to a Snoop Dogg concert is through his stomach -- as the employees of a California pizzeria just found out.

We're told Snoop and tour mate Stephen Marley placed a $900 order with Big Louie's Pizzeria in Eureka last Wednesday -- but instead of asking for cash, the restaurant put in a request for concert tickets.

Snoop and Marley obliged -- forking over 12 tickets and a bunch of t-shirts and hats.

A box of chocolates, a dozen roses ... or an Italian restaurant in the Hamptons -- not all gifts for the wife are created equal.

Sources tell us Billy Joel is looking to buy his wife Katie Lee the aforementioned Italian restaurant, and we're told he's eying a spot in Sag Harbour, NY.

Katie Lee, who is four years older than her stepdaughter Alexa Ray, is a chef in her own right and served as the first host of Bravo's "Top Chef."

And now a snippet from Billy's "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant"...

An email blast for a product called Natural Acai is making its way across the Internet. It features a picture of Rachael Ray and the email even says it's from her. But alas -- Rachael has nothing to do with the product.

Ray's reps tell us this has been an ongoing problem. Several different Acai berry websites have popped up using Ray's image -- all because Ray has mentioned Acai on her show. Each time a site like this pops up, Ray's people get it taken down.

If you feel the need to treat your staff to a lunch-run worthy of the President of the United States, you're gonna need a cool $72.40 -- 'cause that's exactly how much Barack Obama spent during that NBC televised jaunt to Five Guys burger joint.

TMZ locked down the entire order -- down to the toppings -- an order that Obama paid for with cold, hard American cash.

- Cheeseburger with mustard, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapeno (for OBAMA)
- Little cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, ketchup
- Bacon cheeseburger with mustard, relish, onion
- Little hamburger with lettuce and tomato
- Grilled cheese with everything
- Cheeseburger with mushroom, lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard
- 2 reg cheeseburgers with lettuce, tomato, mustard, ketchup, pickles
- Cheeseburger with ketchup (for Brian Williams)
- 10 orders of fries

The #1 source for drinking water in space ... is #1.

Astronauts on the International Space Station had their first taste of liquid goodness from their new urine recycling system -- which magically transforms pee, sweat and water condensed from exhaled air to create a nice cool glass of aqua. Who's thirsty!?

But here's the crazy part -- not only do the astronauts think the final product tastes great ... but they even cracked jokes about it, claiming the water came with this special warning: "drink this when real water is over 200 miles away."