Famous Food

Woods is still technically an employee at the Chrysler automobile assembly plant in Michigan -- where he worked as a fork lift operator before trying out for the NBC reality show.

When Woods made the finals, Chrysler presented him with an award for his accomplishment -- and granted him a one-year leave of absence to pursue his dream.

But now that all of Jamawn's "Soul Daddy" restaurants have closed their doors -- a rep for Chrysler says the company intends to hold up their side of the bargain if Woods wants to come back to work ... adding, "He is still a part of our family."

Jamawn Woods won the first season of the reality show on May 1 -- and his "healthy soul food" chain "Soul Daddy" opened in New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis the following day.

But the LA and NY locations closed on June 14 -- and yesterday, the final location in the Mall of America shut its doors for good.

The man who filed the report is Tommy Karas -- who claims he wrangled up investors for Flav's Las Vegas fried chicken project back in April and was supposed to handle the money for the deal.

According to the report, Flav went behind Tommy's back -- telling the investors HE was the money man ... and even getting them to send him a $30,000 investment ... cutting Tommy out of the deal altogether.

Tommy filed a report with the Las Vegas Metro PD -- but law enforcement sources tell us ... "The allegations did not meet the elements of a crime" -- and cops will not pursue the case because, "It's a civil matter."

According to the clip, the female crew member on VH1's new restaurant-themed "Famous Food" -- which also stars Heidi Montag, Danielle Staub, and Ashley Dupre -- refused to return Vinnie's car after a long day of shooting, claiming the actor had been drinking a lot ... and Vinnie FLIPPED.

Vinnie denies drinking in the clip -- insisting he poured his wine back into the bucket all night ... but the crew member doesn't budge.

Rumor has it Britney has banned junk food -- and alcohol, no less -- from their upcoming mega-tour. When we asked Nicki at LAX yesterday if she'd miss the sugar rush, she told us, "It makes you gain a lot of weight."

Flav tells TMZ he had his attorney pull the license yesterday. He tells us, "I had a licensing agreement with Nick Cimino and that's all we had. It was his business to run from there and the business was not run right."

As we previously reported, employees were claiming their payroll checks were bouncing, which Cimino blamed on "a credit card glitch."

Flav also said the food was a problem too, telling us, "Let me be straight up with you, I went up inside there on April 2 and I found potato salad that expired on February 28. And it's then when I realized I can't do business with this man and I really hope no one ate those potatoes." Us too.

Moments ago, in front of the Crazy Girls strip club at The Riviera Hotel and Casino ... Flav sealed the deal to open a mega-store at the Riv called, "Flavor Flav's House Of Flavor."

We're told "House of Flavors" will expand Flav's empire beyond a simple poultry eatery -- and will include a bar, a merchandising area with Flavor Flav memorabilia PLUS a recording studio and a stage!

We're told construction of the mega-Flav endeavor is set to begin on Monday ... with the grand opening currently slated for May 30.

Carmelo's trade to the New York Knicks isn't even official yet, but Sandy Levine, owner of the Carnegie Deli, tells TMZ they are already launching the new Melo Sandwich and it is packed with everything you could ever want on a sandwich:

-- Pastrami
-- Corned Beef
-- Salami
-- Bacon
-- Tomato
-- Russian dressing
-- On rye bread

The sandwich will run you a cool $21.95 and that price was chosen for a reason -- if they sell around 3,000,000 of them ... it equals the $65 million contract Melo is likely to sign with the Knicks.

Antacid costs extra.

TMZ has obtained photos of Flav at his new "Flav's Fried Chicken" restaurant in Clinton, Iowa yesterday -- where he debuted his eye-popping yellow and orange menus ... and his self-indulgent sign out front.

So we gotta ask ...

Flav's joint is set to open today in Clinton, IA -- the first of a planned chain of restaurants. But the new place just happens to be next to a KFC -- which just seems like awful planning, doesn't it?

Anyway, the guy who owns that KFC tells TMZ, "We've been in business since 1963, we always welcomed competition. We have competed with six or seven brands over that time and as long as we take care of The Colonel's chicken, we will be just fine."

TV Land and the cast of "Hot in Cleveland" are throwing the soiree in Betty's honor Tuesday night (her actual birthday is Monday) at Le Cirque in Manhattan. TMZ snuck a peak at the menu for the evening -- which includes pigs in a blanket, mini crab cakes, and a shrimp display.

Outside the Staples Center in L.A. yesterday, Dyan confessed the type of brownies she makes for the guys: "The good kind. The kind that'll help the Lakers win today."

For the record, the Miami Heat cooked the Lakers' collective geese ... 98 - 80.

Goodwin claimed yesterday she started WW 23 years ago, back when she was 9 -- but there was a big policy change in 2003 ... The company line now is that it's potentially dangerous for kids under 10 to join the program.

Dr. Suparna Jain -- a pediatric endocrinologist -- tells us WW is wise not to give its stamp of approval to anyone under 10, because the diet does not provide enough calcium and protein for a growing body. The Weight Watchers program is predicated on calories, fiber and fat, not fundamental nutrients.

Chestnut tongue-lashed the competition at the second annual Martorano’s Masters Meatball Eating Championship ... finishing 6 balls ahead of his closest competitor, Rich "The Locust" LeFevre.

Holly Madison was also on hand to check out the ball gobblers ... but only as a spectator.