Famous Food

You're Beyonce and you just faked your way through "The Star-Spangled Banner" in front of millions of people -- including the President -- what's your next move????

CHOWING DOWN ON CRAWFISH AND SWEET POTATO PIE!!!!

After Bey "performed" at the Inauguration Monday, she and Jay-Z jetted down to New Orleans -- and the first thing they did that night ... was hit up the famous Mother's Restaurant.

We're told B and J noshed on some serious comfort food ... crawfish etouffee, potato salad, double grits, french fries, catfish, and calamari ... PLUS sweet potato pie and bread pudding for dessert.

Based on the menu, the meal set 'em back under $100 ... but we're told the two were "very sweet" and tipped "extremely well."

Rihanna knows EXACTLY how to please a man ... especially if that man is a waiter, because on Friday she gave one lucky server in Hollywood the biggest tip of his food-slangin' career.

It all went down at the Laugh Factory comedy club -- Rihanna was there with 6 of her friends ... downing drinks and listening to Dane Cook tell "jokes" on stage.

But when the bill came ... a measly $80 ... we're told Rihanna asked her waiter what the biggest tip he ever received was. He said $100 ... so Rihanna slapped $200 into his hand and replied, "Now I'm your biggest tip."

The Nicki Minaj/A.1. Steak Sauce love affair isn't a one way thing ... because it turns out the folks behind the tasty, tasty sauce are as big a fan of her as she is of them.

If you'll recall ... our photogs spotted Minaj out this week at Boa -- a super-fancy steakhouse in Hollywood -- where she had someone bring her a bottle of A.1. into the restaurant.

While the move is a HUGE no-no in steak etiquette, the folks over A.1. tell TMZ they were thrilled to see Minaj make a sauce run and they are HUGE fans of hers.

The rep tells us, "We’re so glad to hear that Nicki Minaj loves our sauce just as much as we love her and her music. To make sure she’s never 'sauceless' again, we sent Nicki some of our A.1. Original Steak Sauce. Now she’ll have A.1. wherever she goes."

Much to delight of Nicki ... and the chagrin of chefs everywhere.

There's about to be a shrimp shortage in the Gulf Coast region ... because TMZ has learned the menu for Super Bowl XLVII includes 10,000 POUNDS of Gulf shrimp on hand for your noshing pleasure.

TMZ obtained the Cajun-inspired Super Bowl menu from the folks at Centerplate and it is MASSIVE:

-- 18,000 pounds of smoked pork
-- 10,000 pounds of Gulf Shrimp
-- 3,000 pounds of alligator sausage
-- 1,200 gallons of chicken piquant
-- 700 gallons of traditional Cajun gumbo
-- 440 gallons of red beans & 6,000 pounds of rice
-- 70,000 Tums tablets (ok, that's just a guess)

In order to pull of the giant feast, we're told Centerplate had to enlist over 100 chefs and 1,000 service staff.

Nicki Minaj violated 1 of the 3 major rules of STEAKHOUSE ETIQUETTE when she asked for A.1. sauce inside Boa ... but she ain't the only meat sinner in our midst.

Nicki Minaj committed the ULTIMATE steakhouse sin at Boa last night ... she sent someone out to get her A.1. Steak Sauce right in the middle of her meal ... and TMZ has the video proof!!!

FYI -- most chefs working at top steak joints across the globe consider a request for A.1. sauce (or any other sauce not made by the restaurant) as a total insult ... an insult proudly committed by millions of people every day. It's right up there with asking for your steak cooked "extra well-done and butterflied."

But last night in Hollywood, Nicki -- who was eating with her BF Safaree -- proved she doesn't give a damn ... 'cause after she sat down, TMZ cameras captured someone running in a bottle of A.1., specifically for Nicki's table.

"Hey it's Wolfgang Puck, his food doesn't suck, and if you don't like his cooking, well he doesn't give a ... hoot."

And that's just a taste of our new Wolfgang Puck theme song ... bon appetit.

If there's one thing Harry Styles didn't get enough of while dating Taylor Swift ... it's clam -- because that's pretty much the first thing he ate following their breakup ... and TMZ has the pic.

The "One Direction" singer -- who just ended his record 2-month relationship with T. Swizzle -- was in Queens Sunday night, when he got a hankering for some Italian ... and swung by the famous Don Peppe's with a pal.

We're told Harry appeared extremely chill throughout his meal -- happily noshing on veal parmigiana, shrimp luciano over linguini, and his main course ... a steaming pile of clams.

And just like that ... Rihanna's back where it all started ... Chris Brown's passenger seat.

The on-again couple relived their past earlier today in L.A., where they picked up some refreshments -- including an Icee -- at a gas station convenience store.

You'll recall, Rihanna was riding shotgun back in 2009 when CB unleashed a ferocious beatdown on her face -- but today, she was nothing but smiles.

Oh yeah, that red sweatshirt she's wearing is Chris' clothing line -- Black Pyramid.

Hope Part 2 works out better.

Demi Lovato took a page out of Britney Spears' down-home playbook, and spent Christmas day stuffing her face in an unexpected, but awesome, place -- the International House of Pancakes!

Demi hit up an IHOP in Texas with her family for dinner on Tuesday, and the 'X Factor' judge's ruling was -- AWESOME! She tweeted ... "Literally the best Christmas I've ever had."

The only person more excited than Demi about the meal -- a rep for IHOP who tells TMZ, "We are thrilled that Ms. Lovato came to IHOP for her Christmas Dinner and we look forward to her visiting us throughout the year."

6:20 AM -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Katt and Suge each received citations at the scene.

Katt was cited for parking too close to a fire hydrant. Suge received a ticket related to multiple outstanding traffic warrants.

Katt Williams was detained by police in front of a Subway restaurant in West Hollywood Thursday night after cops suspected the comic was involved in some sort of "disturbance" at the restaurant, TMZ has learned ... but Katt says he did nothing wrong.

Katt tells TMZ ... the drama began while he was waiting in front of the Subway while his friend/tour manager Suge Knight was getting a manicure/pedicure at a nearby nail salon.

While he was waiting for Suge, cops arrived to the Subway and confronted Katt.

Cops tell TMZ ... they responded to a call about a disturbance involving the comic.

Katt was handcuffed and placed in the back of a squad car ... where he was smiling ... and even gave a thumbs up to a TMZ photog.

Eventually, Katt was released from custody and allowed to leave the scene.

Katt tells TMZ ... cops initially took some weed he was carrying at the time ... and a gun ... but eventually gave back both items because he had a medical marijuana card and a permit for the weapon.

However cops tell us ... there was no firearm ... and the only thing they found was an empty magazine for a .45 caliber gun.

Katt also says the incident was racially motivated.

Katt tells TMZ he wants to sue over the incident ... and is already thinking about contacting Gloria Allred ... it's unclear if he was joking.

After Katt had been released from custody, one Subway employee brought sandwiches for Katt and Suge. The Subway employee tells TMZ ... he never saw Katt involved in any sort of physical altercation.

It's only been 13 days since Katt's last arrest -- he was busted outside of Sacramento on Dec. 7 on a felony warrant related to a police chase.

Moments after Miss USA Olivia Culpa emerged victorious in the Miss Universe pageant, she celebrated like a true beauty queen ... by STUFFING HERSELF WITH ACTUAL FOOD!!!

Culpa had been on a strict diet for months leading up to the competition (probably why she KILLED IT in the swimsuit portion) ... and afterward, she decided to treat herself to a mini room service feast.

The 20-year-old tells us ... when she went back to her room at the Planet Hollywood hotel in Las Vegas ... she "splurged" on the following meal:

-- One giant portion of penne pasta with chicken and red sauce
-- Some bread
-- Half a cupcake

SPLUUUURGE!!!!!!

Culpa says she was HOPING to add some cookie dough ice cream to her food party, but it just didn't happen. Bummer.

But there's more ... Olivia says she plans on eating a Reese's peanut butter cup "tree" thing in the near future ... because they have more peanut butter than the regular cups.

What a fatty.

La Toya Jackson wants nothing but the BEST for her two dogs -- telling TMZ, her little flea bags drink ONLY Fiji-brand water.

La Toya was out in Beverly Hills Sunday night when we asked her all about her two pups -- named Prince and Paris ... after La Toya's famous niece and nephew.

And that's when she dropped the bombshell -- telling our camera guy, her furry friends ONLY drink that ridiculously expensive Fiji-brand artesian water in those clear plastic bottles.

Notre Dame and the University of Alabama are taking their beef to a new level -- TMZ has learned, the mayors of both college towns have made a friendly wager in honor of the BCS National Championship ... and a whole lot of BBQ goodness is at stake.

If the Fighting Irish win -- Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox will send a heaping portion of coma-inducing grub from Dreamland Bar-B-Que to a rep for South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Maddox has also agreed to donate money to South Bend Big Brothers Big Sisters.

But if 'Bama wins -- Buttigieg has agreed to send gourmet chocolates from the South Bend Chocolate Company ... and will donate to the Tuscaloosa Tornado Recovery Fund.

We're not suggesting either team would throw the BCS Championship on January 7 -- but BBQ and chocolate are awesome.

Unencumbered by babysitting, Casey Anthony dined on hot wings and fries at a Florida restaurant ... so claim people at the restaurant.

A woman who sure looks like the famous former defendant is seen in the photo chowing down at Flanigan's Seafood Bar and Grill in Lake Worth, looking somber -- as if someone just died.

The restaurant was mum when we called, saying they don't comment on people who patronize the joint.

Kim Kardashian's trip to a milkshake shop in Bahrain got us thinking -- do they slap Middle Eastern celeb names on their shakes? If not ... they should ... 'cause we already did.