Famous Food

Bad news hot dog fans ... the greatest hot dog eating competition in the world is in danger of being canceled over the coronavirus.

But, here's some good news ... JOEY CHESTNUT WANTS TO PUT ON A SHOW ANYWAY!!!

The greatest eater of all time tells TMZ Sports he still hasn't been informed about the state of the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest (scheduled for July 4 at Coney Island) ... but he "wouldn't be surprised" if it gets the ax.

However, just like LeBron James, Tom Brady and other GOATS ... Chestnut says he's still training like the champion he is.

"Last week, I did like 8 pounds of cucumbers," Joey said ... "I feel like I'll be ready when the contest starts."

We reached out to Major League Eating (the org. that runs the contest) -- and they told us they're still monitoring the situation. In other words, no official decision yet.

But, if the contest does get canceled, like so many other major events, Chestnut says he's 100% willing to put on a solo eating show for America, as long as he can get the wieners and the proper medical support staff in place.

"It would suck not to do it in front of a huge crowd, but there'll still be people watching and I'll still be able to make people happy, I guess. And, I'd push myself to a ridiculous limit."

As for Nathan's, Joey says their focus isn't on the competition right now -- they're trying to do their part in helping the community.

Getting your food in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic is getting downright robotic.

There's been a seismic shift in interest in self-delivering robots in the last few weeks. Serve -- a self-delivery robot for Postmates -- has been out and about delivering grub to hungry customers.

Postmates introduced Serve last December, and there's obvious new-found interest in the contraption. For now, they're meant to travel only short distances.

BTW ... check out the vid ... it looks like the robot's eyes blink at 10 seconds and then again at 21 seconds.

This little doggy does a double-take when it sees the newfangled machine tooling down the street with purpose.

As for cool features ... Serve can carry 50 lbs of food and it travels 30 miles on a single charge.

Serve communicates with dynamic lighting in the eyes ... a light ring on top signals movement, like a change in direction.

BTW ... Serve's not the only game in town. Starship Technologies created a delivery robot that is already making the rounds in the U.K.

Forget "Saving Private Ryan" ... Steven Spielberg's saving our doctors and nurses by hooking 'em up with some grub as they work day and night to treat COVID-19 patients.

We're told the three-time Oscar winner's production company, Amblin Entertainment, sent over a bunch of food to treat doctors and nurses at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. Spielberg's company is based in nearby Universal City.

The docs and nurses were treated to Indian food for lunch recently and BBQ for dinner the next day. There was also a card thanking the staff as "frontline ER heroes." You can see from the picture the staff really appreciated the #ComfortFood because, as you very well know by now, hospitals have been flooded with patients battling the deadly virus.

With hospitals reaching maximum capacity, tons of docs, nurses and staff don't have the luxury to go out and grab a quick bite. That's why sending them food has been a huge relief.

As we've reported ... tons of celebrities have stepped up big time during this pandemic. Oprah, for example, donated $10 million to feed Americans in communities hit hard by the virus.

As if the coronavirus name thing wasn't enough, now Corona beer won't be brewed at all ... in Mexico, anyway -- not for now.

Grupo Modelo, which brews Corona and several other brands, announced Thursday it would close operations at its 11 breweries in Mexico as of Sunday due to government regulations.

Mexico is closing all businesses deemed non-essential ... and that includes beer. The shutdown will impact Grupo's other brands too -- including Pacifico and all the Modelo brews.

Interestingly, it's open season for alcohol here in the U.S., where booze sales are reportedly booming while more than 40 states are under stay-at-home orders.

As the spread of coronavirus reached pandemic levels, there were several reports the beer sales were sagging, because ... well, people are simple and superstitious. However, company honchos claimed sales were actually up 5% in March.

The point is moot now -- and depending on how long the Mexican plants are closed ... a 6-pack of Corona could become a commodity.

Strange times, indeed.

Cardi B is doing her part to make sure medical professionals risking their lives to save others get the nutrition they need while working 12+ hour days.

The rapper donated 20,000 bottles of OWYN -- a plant-based, vegan meal supplement drink -- to NYC-area hospitals for their medical staffs and ambulance crews. We're told she wanted to help the workers who, in most cases, don't even get a chance to eat during their shifts.

Cardi's had some health issues of her own recently, revealing Thursday night she dropped 6 pounds in just a few days with a nasty stomach bug. Cardi went to the E.R. earlier this week but she's home and recovering ... good news.

Cardi was also one of the first celebs to call attention to coronavirus before it hit hard, telling fans it was going to get "real."

As for the OWYN drinks she's donating, the product is 100% plant-based and without dairy, soy, gluten, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish or shellfish.

PETA is not about to let a little thing like a deadly pandemic stop them from fighting for animals ... the protests won't stop, and grocery stores are the big target.

The animal rights org tells TMZ ... protests are focusing on supermarkets because they are one of the few businesses still open in the pandemic, and PETA wants people to make a connection between diseases like COVID-19 and animal agriculture.

PETA protested outside a grocery store in Reno, NV this week ... using a PETA cow to urge shoppers to save animals by going vegan. Next week, PETA says a chicken will be advocating a similar message to shoppers outside a supermarket in Sioux Falls, SD.

While some might question the optics of PETA protesting outside grocery stores in this climate -- scared shoppers standing in long lines -- the org says they've had no complaints from grocery stores.

PETA's got a heart for humans too, and they're taking steps to protect their loyal protesters from catching the virus.

Activists are standing 6 feet apart from one another at protests, and they're handing things out to the public from a safe distance -- at a recent protest, an extended grabber tool was used to distribute toilet paper roles to pedestrians that read, "wipe out animal illness, go vegan."

PETA's also going hands-free for vegan starter kits ... instead of passing out leaflets, a protester holds a big sign with a QR code so folks can download the leaflet on their phones.

Oprah is cutting a huge check for coronavirus relief efforts ... with a massive $10 million donation to help folks struggling during the pandemic.

O just announced the huge pledge Thursday on social media ... and she's allocating $1 million of her donation to help feed hungry Americans who are food insecure.

Oprah says that money is going to America's Food Fund -- an initiative co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio and Laurene Powell Jobs which just got off the ground. AFF is aiming to provide meals for communities hit hard by the virus, and it's also backed by Apple and the Ford Foundation.

As for the remaining $9 million, Oprah says the money will go to various COVID-19 related relief efforts in communities across the country and in areas where she grew up -- Mississippi and Tennessee.

Oprah is the latest celeb to pitch in to coronavirus relief ... just this week, Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively gave $400k to New York hospitals after a previous $1 million donation to Feeding America and Food Bank Canada.

Kylie Jenner, Bryan Cranston, Gwyneth Paltrow and more have also opened up their wallets.

Way to go, O!!!

Southern California still doesn't quite get the need to social distance from one another, because a popular farmers market in Santa Monica was teeming with shoppers who were awfully close together.

These pics were snapped Wednesday AM, as folks mostly on the westside of L.A. scramble for fresh groceries. The person who took the photos tells TMZ ... he was not allowed in because it's members-only, but he saw lots of shoppers very close together.

There have been other problems in the L.A.-area. As we reported, Katherine Schwarzenegger got the Brentwood Farmers Market shut down by Mayor Garcetti -- at least temporarily -- after big crowds gathered over the weekend and clearly were not practicing social distancing.

Ditto the beaches in L.A. County. During the first week of the self-quarantine, the beaches were crammed with people. They have been shut down.

Hiking trails have also been closed because so many people were trying to get exercise at the same time.

Katherine Schwarzenegger is just one of many Angelenos up in arms over the amount of people at a local farmer's market -- and she's asking the Mayor to step in and shut it down.

Kat, along with several other people, tagged and responded to Mayor Eric Garcetti's message to citizens Sunday ... pointing out just how packed the Brentwood Farmer's Market was this morning, with not too many people practicing social distancing at all.

The photos circulating online are stunning -- you'd never guess anyone was under quarantine or safer-at-home orders ... it looks like a regular weekend in L.A., even though it really isn't. KS wrote, "The farmers market in Brentwood still being open seems like a huge issue when it comes to social gatherings 👏🏽" The implication ... please put a stop to this, Mister Mayor.

What's crazy is that cops in and around L.A. have, in fact, been issuing tickets to people who brazenly get too close to other people in public. We spoke with someone who was stopped by LAPD cops outside a Silverlake Starbucks in the L.A. area who said she was told she was getting a $400 ticket for being too close to another customer. When she told cops it was her roommate, they gave her a warning. That said, it begs a serious question.

Why are events like this allowed to go on if they will put people in harm's way? Sure, food is sold here -- which seems to fall under the essential business criteria -- but in reality, the photo makes it clear -- this is insanely dangerous.

It's especially weird, because Brentwood is extremely liberal, and most people presumably would be listening to Dr. Fauci rather than Donald Trump. But, by squeezing into such a small space, they're acting like Trumpers.

The LAPD tells us they didn't get any calls complaining about the market, but they say they're on their way out to the market now. They told us their job is to educate and keep people apart, not to ticket.

There seems to be a disconnect because there is a law on the books that says it's a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment to violate the social distancing rules.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been a fixture the last 2 weeks -- providing a steady flow of scary information to a public hungry for answers -- but on Sunday he paused to reflect on things people can do to feel some sense of normalcy.

The Gov rhapsodized about his youth, when his parents would have what appears to be a mandatory family dinner every Sunday ... and frankly, it sounds delicious.

The Governor talked about the need for comfort, which is often found in the family unit.

He explains his own current circumstances and, if we understand the message, he's trying to inspire people to connect with their loved ones and even enjoy each other's company ... family members quarantined together, of course.

See's Candies -- perhaps the most iconic chocolatier in America -- is facing a bittersweet ending (for now) ... halting production because of coronavirus, which makes it a historical pause.

See's made the announcement this weekend, saying it was temporarily closing up shop and suspending production of its famous chocolate sweets across the country. In their words, they say, "Given the current events with COVID-19, and our concern for the health and safety of our employees, we have made the decision to initiate an interruption once again."

They continued, "We will work to keep you updated as we develop plans to safely resume operations." The official See's website won't even let customers place any new orders at this point -- explaining it has also put a stop to shipping of any new candy.

See's hasn't closed its doors or stopped working since the 1940s, when it interrupted production back then because ... well, the global war that was going on, and rationing provisions placed on the country. Since then though, it's been up and running ... until now.

They've been in business since 1921, opening up their first location in Los Angeles and going on to establish multiple locations across the U.S.A. -- with the Bay Area becoming their HQ. The See family follows the age-old recipe of their matriarch, who's also the kind, old face you see on every See's box of chocolates ... Mary See.

See's has been channeled in and out of pop culture for decades -- perhaps most famously through 'I Love Lucy' and the chocolate factory conveyor belt scene that became iconic ... as Lucy and Ethel tried their hand at wrapping and packing chocolates in hilarious fashion.

Of course, there's also 'Forrest Gump' and its own legendary references to boxes of chocolate. The list goes on and on -- See's has always been there either directly or indirectly.