Famous Food

James Corden might've been a POS at one restaurant in NYC -- according to the owner, anyway -- but another famous chef is giving a different story ... saying the dude's a dear.

Curtis Stone is coming to JC's defense -- telling us at LAX this week that he's been nothing but great in his own establishments ... although it's unclear which ones. Curtis owns a few well-known spots around the globe, Maude in Bev Hills perhaps being the crown jewel.

In any case, CS says his experiences with Corden are very different than the ones described by Keith McNally -- who owns Balthazar, and who put the 'Late Late Show' host on blast.

Speaking of that, we asked Curtis if KMN broke an unwritten rule among those in the service industry -- namely, protecting the privacy of patrons, especially celebrity ones, even if they are a bit rude.

Check out his response ... he says these should be safe spaces. 👀

McNally's motives have been questioned throughout the debacle -- frankly, he's been flip-flopping like a fish, taking back his ban and even showing sympathy toward Corden and extending an olive branch by offering free food if the guy properly apologizes to the servers.

Food slinging is all the rage among European protesters -- just ask these 2 Germans who ruined a Monet painting with a Thanksgiving dish ... all in the name of climate change.

Check out the latest demonstration of its kind here on video ... a guy and girl made their way into the Barberini Museum in Potsdam, Germany, and hurled a couple buckets of mashed potatoes onto Claude's famed 'Les Meules' painting -- valued at about $109 million.

The alarm starts to go off and onlookers are rightly startled by the scene. The protesters take a knee and the gal starts to go on a spiel about climate change and societal priorities.

She says they're doing this to continue to bring attention to the fact that fossil fuel use is destroying the planet, and that there are people starving in the world -- and that, soon, the two things will be joined at the hip as society fights for food. Eventually, security swoops in.

This is exactly what happened in London last week when another pair of climate activists threw tomato soup onto a Van Gogh painting that was valued at $85 million ... and they, too, were arrested.

It's a trend we're seeing more and more of late -- people somehow sneaking in items to vandalize priceless works of art, and kinda ruining them forever.

Even the Mona Lisa has been subjected to unwanted calories -- something that's obviously traversing the globe.

Kim Kardashian knows how to roll with the punches ... even if the punch is dangerously high winds forcing your private jet to get outta Las Vegas, thereby derailing your birthday party plans!

Yeah, Kim's 42nd birthday was dealt a blow from Mother Nature Saturday night, but the story has a happy ending ... in the form of the most bougee late-night burger run you'll ever see.

But, the night started with Kim, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner and a bunch of Kim's friends boarding Kylie's private jet -- Kim's must be in the shop -- for a quick flight to Las Vegas where the gang planned to take in Usher's residency.

But when they got close to Vegas, air traffic control said it was unsafe to land due to extremely high winds -- gusts up to 60 MPH -- so, the pilot had to bang a U-turn and land back in Los Angeles.

Kim's party didn't stop though ... after hopping on a party bus, someone busted out the jello shots again -- looks like Kim had plenty -- and they ended up at an In-N-Out, naturally, for burgers.

And, wow, what a scene inside! Kim in a bikini top, and Khloe in a nude catsuit ... with the whole glammed-up crew standing at the counter ordering, just like normies. As everyone knows ... there's no VIP in the late-night fast food game!

The birthday girl looked, and sounded, very pleased with a burger to cap off her night -- blame it on the shots. It wasn't Usher in Sin City, but Kim seemed alright with the change of plans.

Blame Halloween or Netflix, or both ... but a Texas pizzeria is cutting off a slice of the ghoulish Jeffrey Dahmer fascination -- which is pissing off some people and drawing others into the joint.

Capital Pizza in Lubbock is now proudly displaying an almost literal hot mess -- it's called the "Jeffrey Dahmer Special." Yes, that's a finger and eyeball surrounded by what looks like blood and guts.

It's not real, of course, but the imagery alone is making some people lose their appetite. The restaurant's manager tells TMZ ... one of his servers came up with the concept in honor of Halloween, and the immensely popular Netflix series.

He says the pie is just ramen noodles, pepperoncini garnish ... along with the prop body parts and a whole lot of fake blood. Even though it's not on the menu -- it's just a prop in the pizzeria's window -- many customers have complained it's in poor taste.

The manager says they've had it out there for about 3 weeks, and while they've had complaints, lots of other customers love it -- coming in to have their kids take photos with the display. It's spooky season, after all.

However, the marketing move comes amid lots of controversy over Dahmer being celebrated as some sort of folk hero -- instead of a mass murdering monster -- spurred by Netflix telling his story in what many deem a very sympathetic light.

No, Subway did not pull Russell Wilson's signature sub from its menu over hate from online trolls ... the sandwich giant tells TMZ Sports it simply needed some space for newer dishes.

The Russ hoagie -- dubbed the "The Dangerwich" -- debuted on Subway's exclusive "The Vault" menu back in February ... and it seemed to initially be a hit.

There didn't appear to be any problems with the sammy -- which featured pepperoni, salami, ham, cheese, bacon and veggies -- but when the org. began releasing some ads with the Broncos QB in them, that's when the backlash began.

Russ looked super cringeworthy in the spots -- including one where he, decked out in sunglasses and a leather jacket, suggested a way to eat the meal with a fork and a knife.

The vids quickly became a meme on social media ... and after Wilson's awful start to the NFL season in Denver, the Internet hate grew exponentially.

This week, fans began to notice the sandwich had been removed from Subway's menu ... and many believed it was due to all of the trolling.

But, a spokesperson for Subway told us on Friday that was not the case -- and that the sandwich had actually been pulled in August, before the season began.

"Subway works with a variety of athlete partners, and The Vault is the perfect place to showcase their favorite sandwiches," the spokesperson said. "While The Dangerwich sub left The Vault in August to make room for some new, craveable options, don't worry, The Dangerwich will be back soon!"

James Corden has retracted the apology he made to an NYC restaurant owner earlier this week ... 'cause he's now saying he did nothing wrong.

'The Late, Late Show' host sat down with the New York Times Thursday and called allegations "silly" ... he acted like a "Cretin" by twice going nuts at Balthazar brasserie in Soho.

"I haven't done anything wrong, on any level. So why would I ever cancel this," Corden told an NYT reporter, referring to their interview after his embarrassing restaurant flap.

Corden goes on ... "I was there. I get it. I feel so Zen about the whole thing. Because I think it's so silly. I just think it's beneath all of us. It's beneath you. It's certainly beneath your publication."

At another point during the interview ... Corden peered over to a customer complaining about her meal in the swanky Mark Restaurant.

"Happens every day," Corden told the reporter. "It's happening in 55,000 restaurants as we speak. It's always about eggs."

Then he got serious ... "Can you imagine now, if we just blasted her on Twitter? Would that be fair? This is my point. It’s insane.”

As we reported ... Corden came under fire Monday after Balthazar owner Keith McNally blasted the funnyman on IG for twice acting like a "tiny Cretin of a man." McNally banned Corden from his restaurant, dubbing the TV host "the most abusive customer" ever. That prompted Corden to call McNally and apologize profusely. As a result, McNally lifted the ban.

Your move, Keith.

Olivia Wilde ain't gonna talk about her elusive salad dressing ... but she does have an important message that she wants the whole world to know.

We got Olivia Thursday at Tracy Anderson's fitness studio in Brentwood, CA ... takin' off after getting a good sweat in. Of course, there was one thing on our photog's mind -- even if it wasn't on Olivia's.

We try and get some answers about her making some more of that dressing, but mum's the word ... instead, she's hoping for people to get out there and vote in the U.S. midterms, coming up in just a few weeks.

As we reported -- OW's former nanny, Erika Genaro, told DailyMail of an incident when Olivia was whipping up her special salad dressing, getting ready to go see Harry Styles for a dinner date -- which allegedly triggered Jason Sudeikis.

After the nanny story spread, Olivia posted an excerpt from Nora Ephron's memoir "Heartburn" which details a salad dressing ... which many believe to be the one Olivia made.

Olivia Wilde appears to be confirming her "special" salad dressing that a former nanny claims set her ex, Jason Sudeikis, off -- that, or she's just trolling.

The actress/director posted an excerpt from rom-com queen Nora Ephron's memoir "Heartburn" -- which touches on a meal she makes ... including a salad. Ephron says there's a unique vinaigrette she'd learned, which Olivia seems to be suggesting might be hers as well.

Here's the recipe ... 2 tablespoons of Grey Poupon mustard with 2 tablespoons of good red wine vinegar. While whisking with a fork, you add 6 tablespoons of olive oil until the vinaigrette is creamy. Word is, it's good for greens like arugula, watercress and endive.

OW didn't add any more context to her post -- which went up on her IG Story -- but on the face of it ... it's, at the very least, acknowledging part of what her nanny has alleged.

Just a refresher ... the woman, Erika Genaro, told DM that Olivia was whipping up this dressing and a salad while she was preparing to go see Harry Styles for a dinner date -- which triggered Jason and spurred him to start filming her in their kitchen.

Olivia allegedly told him he was scaring her, and Jason asked why she was leaving him and their kids. Then, according to the nanny, he laid out behind her car to stop her from going.

The exes came together with a statement, denying any truth to what their ex-nanny had claimed -- but now, Olivia has sorta watered that down by leaning into it ... joke-y or not.

Genaro has gone on to allege even more things since -- including the notion that she was still acting lovey-dovey with Jason while having already started her relationship with Harry ... including allegedly sleeping in the same bed naked and sending flirty texts.

The nanny also alleges Olivia gave away their family dog, Gordon, to their dog walker within weeks of meeting Harry -- supposedly so she could have more free time to be with him.

James Corden has at least 2 NYC restaurant owners in his corner ... they say he's been a model customer, despite some alleged nasty behavior at other establishments.

While James was briefly banned at Big Apple hotspot Balthazar, the owner of some of NYC's top restaurants tells us JC was always super polite and cordial at his restaurants.

Stratis Morfogen has opened 40 restaurants over the years in New York, and he says James is one of the most pleasant and funny guys he's ever served -- to the point where Stratis says he can't even imagine James being mean.

When Stratis hosted and catered a 2018 post-Grammys event for Bruno Mars and Atlantic Records at his Brooklyn Chop House restaurant, he says James was there singing songs with bartenders and yukking it up with staffers at the bar. He also notes James was a gracious tipper.

James is also being defended by famed restaurateur Todd English ... who tells us every time he's served Corden, the comedian's been "absolutely lovely" to everyone in the joint.

Todd, who's been the head chef at Tony Awards afterparties, says James was always "incredibly personable" to him and his staff who traveled from Todd English's Olives in Las Vegas.

As we reported, James was called out this week by Balthazar owner Keith McNally, who accused Corden of being a "cretin of a man" for what he claims was abhorrent behavior at his highly acclaimed establishment.

McNally initially banned James from the restaurant, but says Corden called him up and apologized ... and the ban's since been lifted.

Stratis tells us he was shocked McNally would rip James on social media, because he says he's never heard any of his restaurateur friends talk about James in a negative light.

James Corden might be Mr. Nice Guy on camera -- but, according to one restaurant owner, the dude's been incredibly nasty on more than one occasion while dining.

The 'Late, Late Show' host was in the crosshairs of restaurateur Keith McNally -- who owns the highly acclaimed Balthazar in NYC, and who went on the attack Monday on IG ... calling JC a "cretin of a man" for what he claims was abhorrent behavior at his establishment.

McNally alleges that James was incredibly abusive to his staff on at least two occasions while eating there -- so much so, in fact, he felt compelled to out him publicly ... something that's almost never done by high-end restaurant owners.

The guy details two alleged incidents in which he says James lost his cool to the point of absurdity. In one alleged instance, McNally says James demanded two free rounds of drinks for him and his friends after he presented a hair that was found on his food.

McNally claims James said, "Get us another round of drinks this second. And also take care of all of our drinks so far," adding, "This way I (won't) write any nasty reviews in Yelp or anything like that."

In another alleged episode, McNally claims James went even crazier on employees. He alleges James flipped out when an egg yolk omelette his wife had ordered was found to have a little egg white in it. McNally says James told the staff, who remade it ... but mistakenly sent it back out with fries instead of a salad like his wife had initially asked.

McNally claims James went ballistic, allegedly tearing into the waiter and saying they couldn't do their jobs -- and even allegedly suggesting he go back into the kitchen to cook it himself.

Corden has now been banned from Balthazar.

James -- a big-time foodie -- was apparently able to be appeased in the end, McNally claims, but he goes on to allege James has acted similarly at another restaurant of his as well in the city.

We've reached out to James' camp for comment ... so far, no word back.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez have been going strong for more than 3 1/2 years, and based on the photos ... you gotta wonder if the end game is tying the knot.

Lauren and Jeff were like high school kids over the weekend ... at times sucking down pasta, at times just sucking face.

58-year-old Bezos and 52-year-old Sanchez dined at Aroma restaurant in Rome, the latest stop in their global love tour.

They've been all over the place ... cruising on yachts, hitting up celeb hot spots in L.A. like Nobu, going to swanky parties, etc.

As far as we can tell, they've been living together for a while, so it seems like it's just a matter of time ... Now it's true, some people just aren't into marriage -- they don't seem like those people.

Dennis Peek, the recently-fired Wendy's employee with Down syndrome, isn't fully retiring yet -- he's about to live out one of his lifelong dreams by becoming a police officer.

This is all kinds o' perfect ... turns out Dennis is a huge fan of "The Andy Griffith Show" -- his sister Cona Young Turner tells us her brother especially loves Barney Fife, the hilarious deputy played by Don Knotts.

She says Dennis knows a few of the officers in the nearby town of Mount Holly, NC, and after they saw what happened to him at Wendy's ... the police department decided to put him on the force for a day.

We're told Dennis will be sworn in on Thursday ... they'll give him a uniform and a hat that he gets to keep once his shift is over. He's gonna be busy, riding in a police car, a police boat and he'll check in on a few businesses in the department's golf cart.

ICYMI, Dennis's story went viral when he got fired from his job at the fast food chain last week after devoting 20 years to the company. Cona claimed managers told her Dennis couldn't do his job like a "normal" person.

As we reported, Dennis doesn't know he was terminated ... his family opted to tell him he's simply retiring.

The cop who shot 17-year-old Erik Cantu at a San Antonio McDonald's has surrendered to authorities and has been charged with 2 felonies ... this as Cantu fights for his life.

25-year-old rookie police officer James Brennand has been charged with 2 counts of aggravated assault by a peace officer.

Cantu was eating a burger in the parking lot of Mcdonald's when Brennand spotted him and recognized his car ... Brennand said the driver had evaded police the day before the shooting.

Erik remains unconscious on life support ... according to his family. The family gave an ominous statement Tuesday, "There is no improvement in his condition. The last two days have been difficult, and we expect more difficulty ahead, but we remain hopeful."

Brennand approached Cantu's car, opened the driver's door and ordered Cantu out. Cantu put it in reverse and the cop began shooting multiple rounds, striking him several times.

Fall baseball is back ... and to commemorate the MLB's postseason, the teams still alive are hookin' up their fans with new food choices at their stadiums -- including the Yankees, who unveiled a massive, Aaron Judge-themed cheeseburger!

The Pinstripes, Braves, Dodgers, Astros, Guardians, Phillies and Mariners all introduced delicious meal choices this week for their supporters to enjoy during the playoffs.

In NY ... the Yanks revealed the "62" bacon burger in honor of Judge, who just became the American League home run king this season by hitting 62 dingers. The Bronx Bombers also showed off a new pumpkin spice milkshake, too.

The Dodgers are offering fans Lomo Saltado Fries -- which are made up of sautéed steak, bell peppers and onions drizzled with aji verde sauce.

The Braves -- who won the World Series last year -- brought out the OPPO "Taco" ... which is chicken rolled in naan featuring a bunch of toppings. It, of course, is named after an opposite-field home run.

Cleveland, meanwhile, has a new menu loaded with all sorts of options, from nachos to hot dogs, to chili, to braised beef.

The longtime Wendy's employee with Down Syndrome -- who was recently fired -- is now getting a happy ending, complete with a huge party and a major key.

Here's the deal ... Dennis Peek was unceremoniously canned a few days back after working at a Wendy's in Stanley, North Carolina for 20 years. The news was particularly devastating for Dennis' family -- his sister and guardian, Cona Young Turner -- tells TMZ ... Dennis doesn't know he was terminated, and instead thinks he's retiring.

The family is being super sensitive about the situation, but we've learned the city of Stanley is kicking in to give him a proper retirement send-off. Cona says during the party, Dennis will be presented with a key to the city and a commemorative plaque.

She says the Carolina Restaurant Group -- which operates the Wendy's where Dennis worked -- offered Dennis his job back and the family at first agreed, but she says the family ultimately decided against it.

We're told Dennis previously mentioned to his family he wanted to retire ... so his sister thinks it's best for him to move on from Wendy's.

Cona says Wendy's offered to cover costs for the retirement party, but as of now the city will foot the bill ... and folks in town are chipping in too.

The retirement bash is set for Nov. 5, and the family's also asking people to send Dennis "Happy Retirement" cards.

While Cona was initially looking into filing a wrongful termination lawsuit of a special needs worker, she tells us ... the family will NOT pursue legal action.

The 17-year-old shot multiple times by a cop while eating outside a McDonald's is on life support after several of his organs were punctured ... TMZ has learned.

Erik Cantu's family, through his attorney Brian Powers, tells TMZ the teen has undergone multiple surgeries to repair major organs that were damaged -- a result of the gunfire.

Erik's being closely monitored as the system keeps his lungs operating. He still remains sedated to hopefully ease the pain and discomfort he'd face if conscious.

Erik is struggling, and the recovery won't be easy for him, but his family thanks everyone for sending prayers ... asking for more of that love during this time of uncertainty.

As we reported, bodycam footage -- released by police last week -- showed San Antonio PD Officer James Brennand shoot multiple times at the unarmed kid. Brennand was at the location for an unrelated call ... but Cantu had apparently evaded Brennand on another call the day before.