Famous Food

Aaron Hernandez can say goodbye to one of his sponsors -- Muscle Milk is jumping ship in the wake of the NFL star's legal troubles.

CytoSport -- the company behind the popular supplement -- said it was dropping the Patriots' tight end immediately ... in the light of the ongoing investigation.

Police searched Hernandez's Massachusetts home and the area around it ... while investigating the homicide of Odin Lloyd ... who has connections to Hernandez.

Hernandez -- who has not been arrested or named a suspect in Lloyd's death -- is also being sued for allegedly shooting a man in Miami.

You can't keep good chicken down ... Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs joint has been cleared to re-open -- one day after the landlord shut it down and evicted Flav.

Attorneys for the restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan filed a Motion to Stay the eviction ... claiming they weren't informed about a court hearing on the matter until AFTER the hearing had been held.

A judge agreed and postponed the eviction until attorneys for both sides can have another hearing -- but did require the restaurant to pay one month's rent ... $3,500.

James Gandolfini reportedly gorged himself on fried food, foie gras and booze just before he died of a heart attack.

Gandolfini downed at least 8 drinks at the restaurant in the hotel where he died -- 4 shots of rum, 2 pina coladas and 2 beers -- this according to the New York Post.

The "Sopranos" star also feasted on fried prawns covered in mayo and chili sauce and foie gras, according to the paper.

On Tuesday -- the night before he died -- we're told Gandolfini dined at another restaurant and downed at least one glass of wine (Photo above).

Gandolfini struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.

James Gandolfini dined at an Italian restaurant and was photographed during his meal shortly before he died.

We've been getting unconfirmed reports Gandolfini was at Vitti restaurant in Rome -- where the pic was taken -- hours before his death. Although we know he was there, the restaurant can't confirm if it turned out to be his last meal.

And now we know ... doctors tried in vain for 40 minutes to resuscitate the actor. They tried everything -- heart massage and other methods but there was no electric activity from the heart, meaning he was probably dead before he even got to the hospital. The hospital confirms that.

There will be an autopsy, which will probably include a toxicology report that will reveal if drugs or alcohol were in Gandolfini's system.

LANDLORD VICTORY BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIII -- Flavor Flav's Fried Chicken & Ribs has officially been evicted from its location in Sterling Heights, Michigan ... and police wasted no time clearing staff out of the location, TMZ has learned.

The signed eviction order was affixed to the front door today following a bitter legal battle between Flav's business partners and the landlord, who sued to evict them earlier this month ... accusing Flav's team of stiffing the property owner on more than $20,000 in unpaid rent.

Sources close to the restaurant tell TMZ, police showed up this morning to kick out the staff and change the locks on the doors.

For Flav's part, his business associates claim they didn't pay rent because of a faulty heating unit on the property -- which was allegedly spewing carbon monoxide -- but their excuse apparently hasn't helped their case.

Calls to Flav's camp weren't returned.

Paula Deen is using the "I'm from the South" excuse to justify her use of the N-word ... saying that when she grew up, dropping an N-bomb was no big deal because everyone was racist.

Paula Deen Enterprises just issued the following statement to TMZ ... "During a deposition where she swore to tell the truth, Ms. Deen recounted having used a racial epithet in the past, speaking largely about a time in American history which was quite different than today."

FYI -- the "time" Paula admitted to using the N-word was 1986!!!!!

Anyway, the statement continues ... "[Paula] was born 60 years ago when America's South had schools that were segregated, different bathrooms, different restaurants and Americans rode in different parts of the bus. This is not today."

Famed black Southern chef Joe Randall -- who once taught Paula Deen a few tricks -- says he's extremely hurt by Deen's admitted use of the n-word ... but tells TMZ, he'd STILL welcome her at his establishment.

Randall -- who runs the famous Savannah Cooking School in Georgia where Deen once studied -- tells us, he can't say definitely whether Deen's a racist simply because she once used the n-word ... but says, "I can say that her admitting to using derogatory language and the n-word is very hurtful."

Randall called the language racist, but said, "You have to understand we're in the South and some people think that it's acceptable to use [racist] language from 50 years ago."

Now the shocking part ... Randall says, "As a businessman, of course she is welcome in my establishment like any other client would be. I wouldn't turn her down at all."

He adds, "Although I don't respect that she used derogatory hateful words ... and if she came into my establishment and we were to talk, I would tell her I don't agree with her words."

Translation: money talks, racist or not.

Darryl Strawberry's not living up to his name ... because according to a new lawsuit, he stiffed a produce company on a massive fruit and vegetable bill -- to the tune of $2,694.

New V&J Produce Corp has filed a lawsuit against Strawberry and his NYC restaurant Strawberry's Sports Grill, claiming it recently made multiple produce shipments to the establishment worth a total of $2,694.

According to the lawsuit, V&J has made several attempts to recover what it's owed ... but Strawberry has yet to pay up.

V&J is now suing for the full sum, plus $500 in attorneys' fees ... a total of $3,194. That's a lot of produce.

11:52 AM PT -- Paula's rep issued a statement to TMZ ... saying, "Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. She is looking forward to her day in court.”

When Paula Deen was asked, under oath, if she has ever used the N-word -- she responded, "Yes, of course" ... and the shocking admission was all captured on tape.

Deen was being deposed in connection with a pending sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former employee who claims she was subjected to a barrage of racist, sexist and generally inappropriate comments while she worked at Paula's Oyster House restaurant in Georgia.

Here are the highlights from the jaw-dropping depo:

Lawyer: Have you ever used the N-word yourself?
Paula: Yes, of course.

Lawyer: Okay. In what context?
Paula: Well, it was probably when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.

Sidenote -- Paula was held up at gunpoint during a bank robbery in 1986.

Lawyer: Okay. And what did you say?
Paula: Well, I don't remember, but the gun was dancing all around my temple ... I didn't -- I didn't feel real favorable towards him.

Lawyer: Okay. Well, did you use the N-word to him as he pointed a gun in your head at your face?
Paula: Absolutely not.

Lawyer: Well, then, when did you use it?
Paula: Probably in telling my husband.

Lawyer: Okay. Have you used it since then?
Paula: I'm sure I have, but it's been a very long time.

Lawyer: Can you remember the context in which you have used the N-word?
Paula: No.

Lawyer: Has it occurred with sufficient frequency that you cannot recall all of the various context in which you've used it?
Paula: No, no.

Lawyer: Well, then tell me the other context in which you've used the N-word?
Paula: I don't know, maybe in repeating something that was said to me.

Lawyer: Like a joke?
Paula: No, probably a conversation between blacks. I don't -- I don't know. But that's just not a word that we use as time has gone on. Things have changed since the '60s in the south. And my children and my brother object to that word being used in any cruel or mean behavior. As well as I do.

We reached out to Paula for comment -- so far, no word back.

Millionaire choke artist Charles Saatchi -- the guy who says he was only "playfully" strangling his wife in public last week -- surfaced in London today for a dinner date with himself.

Saatchi has been hounded by the U.K. media ever since photos surfaced showing the ad mogul getting a little too hands on with his celebrity chef wife Nigella Lawson.

But today, Saatchi arrived solo to the the swanky 34 Restaurant in London.

US Open winner Justin Rose -- the first English golfer to win the tournament in 43 years -- definitely isn't Jewish ... because he celebrated his historic victory last night with the least Kosher meal of all-time.

The owner of The Gypsy Saloon in West Conshohocken, PA, tells TMZ, 32-year-old Rose and his crew dropped by last night after he took the title -- beating out Phil Mickelson by two shots -- and ate "like a king."

We're told the kitchen had been closed for hours by the time Rose and his team got there, but the owner fired everything back up just for the new champ ... dishing out heaping plates of lobster mac and cheese, strawberry and caprese salad, calamari, wings, NY strip steak, chicken, pasta, and eggplant rolls.

No surprise, we're told Rose was in great spirits the entire meal -- chatting up the waitresses and other customers -- and the champagne did flow.

We're told Rose was with a party of 6 (including his wife) and the bill came to $550 ... plus a "very generous" tip. The trophy didn't leave his side for a second.

As for Tiger Woods ... dude didn't even crack the top 10.

Houston we have a Tang problem ... Buzz Aldrin says his anti-Tang comment was blown WAY out of proportion and he has no problem with the spaceman juice.

Our photog ran into Buzz at LAX on Friday and just had to know what was up with his "Tang sucks" declaration while presenting during Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards.

The 2nd man on the moon gets was a little annoyed about the whole thing and said his comment was just a joke ... not meant to be taken seriously.

Buzz also explained how he allegedly enjoyed Tang up in space ... and it sounds way more gross than this old-timey commercial leads on.

The people behind Flavor Flav's Michigan chicken joint claim their landlords DON'T DESERVE RENT ... because the guys who own the building exposed them to POISON GAS!!!

We broke the story ... Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs was hit with eviction papers last month because the landlords claim the restaurant hasn't paid a penny in rent since the place opened back in December.

But Flav's people claim they have a damn good reason to stiff the landlords -- the place had a faulty heater that was leaking carbon monoxide into the restaurant ... endangering everyone inside the building.

Flav's partners filed a lawsuit against the landlord ... claiming they had a duty to fix the problem, but failed to do so ... causing FFC&R to temporarily close its doors.

The chicken joint has since re-opened ... and we're guessing the problem has been remedied because no one has since died (... to the best of our knowledge).

A lawyer for Flav's biz partners tells TMZ, the rent on the property IS currently being paid ... but into a court escrow account, where it will stay until all these messy legal matters are settled.

Flavor Flav's run as a fast food mogul could be over in a matter of weeks ... because the last of his fried chicken joints has been hit with eviction papers ... TMZ has learned.

Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs in Sterling Heights, MI has been accused of stiffing its landlord out of rent since the day it opened back in December 2012.

FYI -- FFC&R is the last of 3 fried chicken joints Flav has tried to open in the past few years ... one sputtered out in Iowa in 2011 and the other one died a slow painful death in Vegas in 2012.

Now, according to court docs obtained by TMZ, the Michigan location is also on the ropes ... unless it finds a way to come up with $25,000 (missing rent + late fees + damages).

The papers show ... FFC&R was late in making its monthly $3,500 monthly rent payment back in Sept and October -- and stopped paying altogether in November.

The landlord warned Flav's restaurant about the problem back in January ... and just a few weeks ago, went back to the court in hopes a judge will kick Flav to the curb, stat.

We called Flav about the crisis ... and he told us he had no idea the restaurant was in trouble. But the rapper insists, "I'm gonna figure out what's going on and get to the bottom of this ASAP!"

Buzz Aldrin says he HATES TANG ... and due to the fact he's been married to 3 women, we're guessing he meant the drink.

Of course, Tang (the drink) shot to fame as the stuff the astronauts like John Glenn sipped on during space missions back in the day.

Tang is to astronauts ... like crack is to whores -- or so we thought! Because at the taping for Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards this weekend -- Buzz shockingly proclaimed, "TANG SUCKS."

And why the revelation?

Buzz was presenting an award to Felix Baumgartner (the Austrian skydiver who jumped from space last year) ... when he began talking about how jealous he was of Baumgartner's Red Bull sponsorship.

Buzz proceeded to gripe about how no corporate sponsor ever paid HIM to go to space -- not even Tang -- and that's why he didn't feel bad trashing the drink.

Wonder how he feels about Astronaut ice cream ...?

Can you guess which stars posted these not-so-appetizing photos of their food right before they stuffed it into their famous face?