Famous Food

Rick Ross isn't just the boss in hip hop -- he's stacking up tons of cash in the chicken biz too ... and it sounds like he's planning a wing takeover.

Rick talked fowl with Arsenio Hall last night ... enlightening the host on how his barber got him hooked on Wingstop chicken -- and reveals lemon pepper was his chosen poison.

Rick says he instantly knew ... "That's not your regular colored chicken" -- which is why he now OWNS a bunch of franchises.

How dedicated is the Maybach Music boss to Wingstop? Back in 2011 ... we got a shot of him outside a Memphis branch ... hours after he'd suffered 2 seizures!

You gotta watch Rick break down his plans for total wing domination.

There's a new basketball team doing business in Harlem ... a couple of former New York Knicks -- who just officially OPENED their first pizza joint together ... TMZ Sports has learned.

John Starks and Anthony Mason finally cut the ribbon on the first NYC location of Custom Fuel Pizza -- a chain that started in D.C.

The duo is pumped about being investors in the franchise (they previously told us they want to challenge Peyton Manning for the pizza title) ... and last night at the grand opening party, John and Anthony gushed about how they plan to change the pizza game forever.

Duke basketball phenom Jabari Parker could very well be the first pick in the NBA draft ... if he doesn't become Martha Stewart first -- 'cause the guy has some serious baking skills.

Parker showed off his culinary prowess recently by rewarding the swarms of Duke fans camping out for the March 8th battle vs. UNC (Yes, March 8th, they’re crazy) with his signature “Jabari Bars.”

Check out the video… it’s a serious culinary experience, with Jabari refusing to detail his full list of ingredients, and at one point saying “If they like them, I might have to leave college to be a professional dessert maker.”

The verdict? One student said that the Jabari Bars were a “12 out of 10.”

Clinton Portis was expecting a fancy town car to take him to the airport this morning -- instead, he got a '99 Honda Civic and a driver who wouldn't put down a bucket of fried chicken ... so, of course, he took pics.

The former Pro-Bowl running back was out in Charlotte, NC on business -- and got hooked up with a car service that was supposed to take the VIP back to the airport in style.

Instead, Portis tells TMZ Sports ... "A 75 year old woman pulled up in a black 99' Civic, and there's two baby seats in the back."

"I put my bag on the baby seat and I got in the front. The lady was eating Bojangles [chicken]. I said 'this gotta be a prank."

It was no prank. This chicken-chowing chauffeur then asked Portis if HE knew the way to the airport. Not a good sign.

"We were at a red light and she punched the gas. We spun out. I couldn't stop laughing."

Big Mama's & Papa's pizza joint was actually the big winner at the Oscars -- it got more than $10 million in publicity and didn't have to pay a penny -- in fact, they actually got paid.

A single spot on the telecast ran for around $1.8 million ... according to Variety. We timed it out ... Ellen spent 2 minutes passing out the 3 pies and another minute collecting the cash. That's $10.8 mil.

Big Mama's & Papa's actually collected around $75 for the 3 pizzas, so it may be the best ad deal in the history of TV.

By the way ... the cost of buying the spot doesn't take into account the cost of producing it -- which is generally a fortune.

Never underestimate those pizza folk.

The guy who delivered pizzas to the Oscars had no idea Ellen collected hundreds of bucks earmarked for his tip.

Edgar was all business after the ceremony when we caught up with him as he went inside Big Mama's & Papa's ... but it's pretty clear he had no idea Ellen passed Pharrell's hat around and scored around $300. When you deduct $75 for the 3 pies, it leaves an awesome tip.

But Edgar was mum ... somehow learning how to give photogs the brush-off with NO experience.

The guy who delivered pizza to celebs like Jared Leto, Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts during the Academy Awards returned to work with a hero's welcome ... but the burning question -- will he get that big fat tip?

We're not sure what his name is, but the guy who delivered pizzas during the show is clearly gonna get employee of the month ... you gotta see the reaction he gets from his co-workers.

The delivery guy didn't take his own ride to the event -- looks like Oscar producers sent a fancy SUV -- but when we tried asking him how it all went down ... he wouldn't say much.

Here's the kicker ... all this happened before Ellen got celebs like Harvey Weinstein and Brad Pitt to tip him around $300 for the pizza inside Pharrell's hat. So, the question is -- will the delivery guy get what's coming to him?

Don't worry ... we plan to ask him soon. Hopefully our camera guy gets an answer.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Joile were given the ultimate "Sophie's Choice" Saturday night in Hollywood -- don't worry, their kids are fine -- but the couple's taste buds may NEVER BE THE SAME!

Brangelina were leaving the Independent Spirit Awards last night and our photog blew Brad Pitt's mind with a simple question.

If he had to choose one snack to eat for the rest of his life -- between Jell-O or pudding -- which would it be?

Angelina Jolie got another toughie from our photog -- Cheez-Its or Goldfish? Like a true fembot, she's stumped.

So, we gotta ask ...

Justin Bieber -- no longer a teenager -- and to celebrate that he blew out candles on a cake that looks like it was made for child.

Bieber -- or according to the cake, Bizzle -- turned 20 Saturday morning ... and he wasted no time kicking off the celebration.

Wanna take a special friend out for a nice romantic Italian dinner?

Well, ya can't take 'em to Cuttino Mobley's restaurant in L.A. 'cause the place closed down ... and now the former NBA star is suing the cooks -- claiming all they ever served up was bull crap.

The name of the place was Sirena -- which specialized in rustic Italian dishes (shoulda tried the branzino) ... and Cuttino was an investor.

But according to a lawsuit obtained by TMZ Sports, Mobley said he was duped by two cooks (one of whom was allegedly abusing drugs at the restaurant).

In the suit, Mobley says he was promised he was investing in a friendly and affordable "open-air restaurant" ... but the cooks turned the joint into an expensive, "closed -off" place that was only accessible from an alley-way.

Long story short ... the place tanked and shut down last September -- and now Cuttino is suing the cooks to get his money back.

One McDonalds customer's rage over napkins -- one napkin, to be precise -- inspired him to file the most awesome $1 MILLION lawsuit we've ever seen.

It's awesomeness covered in ridiculousness ... and fried in hysterical.

Bill Clinton and Sean Penn came face-to-face in Hollywood last night ... but there was no real beef ... because they were eating at a vegan restaurant.

Clinton -- with a full secret service escort -- hit up Crossroads restaurant ... to meet Penn for a meat-free dinner date (Bill is a vegan these days).

Unclear why they got together -- Haiti? Global human rights? Charlize Theron?

All we know is the two have known each other for years ... and even appeared in a "Funny or Die" video together back in 2011.

McDonalds has made a new golden arch enemy -- a California man is suing the company for $1.5 MILLION ... because he says he only got ONE NAPKIN with his meal.

Webster Lucas claims he was stiffed on napkins at the Mickey D's in Pacoima, CA on January 29th -- after ordering a Quarter Pounder Deluxe -- and when he went up to the counter to ask for more, he was rudely rebuffed by the manager ... who insisted he already got some.

According to his lawsuit, Lucas -- who is black -- then retorted, "I should have went to eat at the Jack-in-the-Box because I didn't come here to argue over napkins. I came here to eat."

That's when Lucas says things got racist -- claiming the manager (a Mexican-American) mumbled something about "you people."

Lucas subsequently emailed the general manager to complain -- insisting he couldn't work because of the "undue mental anguish" he was suffering as a result of the napkin debacle -- and says he was insultingly offered free burgers in return.

Celebrity chef Ilan Hall -- the former "Top Chef" winner -- has just thrown in the dish towel in a lawsuit that accused him of fenneling money from investors.

Hall was sued for taking $37,500 from money men to help in the operation of his restaurant, The Gorbals in downtown L.A. And, fun fact ... it's known for bacon-wrapped matzoh balls.

But the investors claim Hall was as unkosher as his meals and pocketed the cash.

We just learned -- in a rosh to judgment -- the case settled for $25K.

Paula Deen's hitching her wagon to Dolly Parton to try to bury her n-word scandal ... forging ahead with a new restaurant right next to Dolly's amusement park.

Paula Deen's Family Kitchen will open later this summer next to Dollywood in Tennessee -- her first new business venture since last month ... when a businessman pumped $75 mil into Paula's comeback.

Sources connected to the restaurant tell us besides the usual family-style portions of Southern food staples ... Paula's new joint will also feature a retail store to hawk her wares and books.

We're told Paula's spent the last 4 months focusing on all aspects of her business ... and this restaurant is a top priority.

Sam Champion just put weathermen on par with doctors, because hey ... sometimes ya guess right, sometimes ya guess wrong.

The Weather Channel anchor was flashing leg this morning in NYC -- shorts WITH a puffy jacket -- when we asked him to defend his profession against critics who say they only get it right about 50% of the time.

Watch this clip for 2 great things:
- Sam's bold comparison of meteorology to life-saving physicians
- Sam's offer to buy our camera guy a cup of coffee

It's pretty hysterical ... because that 2nd one just sparked rumors in NYC that our camera guy is dating Sam -- another pap actually shot them inside Starbucks.