Famous Food

The woman who was arrested at an Ohio Applebee's over a high chair conflict was given ample opportunity to avoid it ... based on police body cam footage anyway.

As we reported ... Shannel Malcolm got into it with restaurant staffers after she claimed she was denied 2 high chairs for her twin babies. Welcome to 2020, where cops get called over high chairs, and the video shows Shannel's absolute disbelief once she saw the officers.

At first, she's not all that interested in explaining her side of the story. Instead, she whipped out her phone, and as we reported ... live streamed the incident.

The officer did speak to an employee who explained they were following the law by not allowing Shannel to have high chairs at her booth because it would be dangerous to her kids.

Applebee's told TMZ ... 2 high chairs in a booth created a fire safety hazard, so they offered to seat her at a different table. They claim Shannel refused and got aggressive with a pregnant host -- and that's why they called police.

As for why she got arrested? Well, watch the video to see what happened after the officer kicked her out of the restaurant.

Shannel was jawing with other patrons, and totally defiant when the cop tried to let her go with a ticket. That's when the handcuffs came out and, as we told you ... she got arrested for disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice.

"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is getting back to work just over a month after impaling his hand in a gnarly freak accident ... but he won't be getting his hands dirty.

So here's the deal, Buddy's very first event since the horrific bowling injury is scheduled to go down Friday with Goldbelly CEO Joe Ariel. They're teaming up for an event dubbed Halloween Goldbelly Live! ... where they'll teach, via Zoom, how to make "Frankencakes."

But, sources connected to the event tell TMZ ... the "Cake Boss" will ONLY be instructing and not actually doing any of the decorating or whatever else goes with making the Frankenstein cake kits. We're told someone from Buddy's team will be doing the actual decorating while Buddy mostly oversees the production.

BTW, Buddy's still got a long recovery process. Buddy's returning to the air on November 22 when the Food network airs "Buddy vs. Christmas." If you're wondering ... this special was filmed before his accident. And, speaking of the accident ... TLC will air a 2-hour special on December 23 about the accident with footage captured immediately after the accident.

Just days after the accident, Buddy gave his account of the freak bowling accident. He said his long road to recovery's largely because of severe tendon, nerve and muscle damage to his right hand, which just recently had its third surgery.

Paul Rudd's showing his appreciation to Brooklyn residents braving the rain and chilly weather to stand in a long line to vote ... by providing a sweet pick-me-up.

The 'Ant-Man' star was handing out cookies to voters Thursday morning in NYC, telling each person, "Thank you for coming out and voting."

It appeared Paul was accompanied by a cookie-man with a backpack who was supplying him with the treats to disperse as they made their way down the line. It's COVID-safe generosity ... Paul and crew were wearing face masks and gloves.

Brian Rosenworcel, the drummer and cofounder of the band Guster, is the guy who recorded Rudd doing his good deed as he was waiting to vote himself.

As we've reported ... several other celebs have found their own unique ways to encourage Americans to exercise their right to vote in 2020. There was Lizzo's red, white and blue-themed music vid, Lil Dicky's nude breakdown of the 2 presidential candidates ... and of course, a lot more stars stripping down to raise awareness of proper mail-in ballot procedure.

So, this is nuts -- a popular coconut milk brand allegedly uses abused monkeys to harvest its product, which is why you won't see it on Costco shelves anymore.

The wholesale giant says it's discontinuing Chaokoh coconut milk after PETA made it aware of the alleged monkey business going down in Thailand. We know it sounds like a joke: How many monkeys does it take to pick a coconut?

But, according to PETA, there's no punchline ... just monkeys taken from their families to be chained, caged, and forced to become "coconut picking machines" until their deaths.

Now, for its part, Chaokoh denies PETA's abuse claims, saying ... "We do not engage the use of monkey labour in our coconut plantations" -- and adds all of its suppliers have signed an agreement not to do so either.

Here's an odd one -- a woman was arrested at an Ohio Applebee's after getting ticked off the restaurant refused to give her 2 high chairs for 2 babies ... and she streamed the encounter live.

Shannel Malcolm hit record when she and her family -- consisting of 5 people total -- allegedly got a hard time Sunday evening from the staff ... all because, she says, she wanted 2 high chairs for her twin 1-year-olds. Seems like a simple request, right?

Well, the Marion County Sheriff's Department tells TMZ ... Applebee's told responding deputies they denied Shannel the high chairs because she wanted them at a booth, which the restaurant told her would cause a fire hazard.

So, cops say the staff told them they offered to seat her at another table that could safely accommodate the 2 high chairs ... but it doesn't sound like that went over well.

The Sheriff's Department says they tried calming down Shannel, who they say was acting unruly and wasn't cooperating. There's no evidence in the video she posted ... in fact, she was complimentary to the cops. However, they ended up arresting her after cops first tried to resolve it by just giving her a court summons.

She was booked for disorderly conduct and obstruction of justice, and released later that evening.

One last thing about this ... in her disbelief at the situation, Shannel -- who is Black -- does make mention of 2020 being "real," and her eyes being "open" in light of this. Unclear if she was insinuating racism was in play here .... but if so, she never explicitly says so.

Now there's a movement growing to boycott the Applebee's over the episode. We've also reached out to the restaurant for more clarification ... so far, no word back

Some lucky people and also voters casting their ballots are getting a tasty reward -- even before election results -- in the form of free tacos!!!

Here's the deal ... Vote.org branded food trucks are descending on voting sites through Election Day, providing folks braving the long lines with free grub, water and voting rights info.

The treats are free to all voters and locals, as the nonpartisan org is picking up the tab. We're told it costs about $15,000 to rent the food trucks for 12 hours and dish out hundreds of meals.

The food trucks are setting up shop in Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin ... almost all of which are critical battlegrounds that will most likely decide who wins the White House.

Surreal moment for Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan ... the dude had to pause his news conference Monday 'cause he said he rubbed hot sauce in his eye.

... for real.

The much-maligned coach was fielding questions on a call with reporters ... when suddenly, he abruptly announced he had to take a few minutes off.

And, the reason why? He said he had Tabasco on his finger and accidentally touched his eyeball with it!!!

Nolan left the call for several minutes to handle the issue ... but, thankfully, the 61-year-old was able to get everything cleared up and jump back on the phoner.

"My eye feels a lot better," Nolan said of the drama afterward. "But it was burning.”

Of course, Nolan is commanding a historically awful defense in Dallas this season ... so there's plenty of fire/heat/burning/stinging jokes to be made here.

Big Boi is looking out for some fearless Atlanta poll workers braving the pandemic to help folks cast their ballots early ... he hooked 'em up with free grub.

The Outkast rapper made sure poll workers weren't serving their community on an empty stomach, teaming up with Postmates and World Central Kitchen to serve them over 150 hot meals.

As you can see, Big Boi used the food delivery app to send over several trays full of pan-seared chicken and shrimp tacos. It looks like a pretty nice reward for working the polls, a much higher risk task this year than ever before.

As you know, the coronavirus pandemic is making it tougher for polling locations to find poll workers, but these fine folks are helping keep our democracy running.

For those under-prepared voters waiting in long lines at the polls without lawn chairs or snacks, major restaurant chains are making sure they don't go hungry ... and they won't lose their spot in line.

Grubhub is partnering with big chains like 7-Eleven and Burger King to make sure voters stay fed and hydrated while waiting to cast their ballots on Election Day.

It's an idea as American as voting for president -- fast food delivered at the touch of a button, and at a discount.

Grubhub's Election Day deals include ... free delivery on 7-Eleven and BurgerFi orders of at least $15 and a $3 discount on Burger King orders of at least $18.

Hungry voters can also save $10 on California Pizza Kitchen orders of at least $30, pocket $5 on Pret A Manger orders of at least $15 and take $5 off Wow Bao orders of at least $20.

If those options don't make your mouth water, Grubhub's also working on Election Day deals with Red Lobster, P.F. Chang's and Boston Market -- although eating a lobster tail in line sounds gnarly.

Or, you can be like Belinda Varnado and come to the polls prepared for a long day of waiting in line ... remember, she showed us how it's done with her chair full of quick bites.

Voters dropping off ballots or mailing them in can also take advantage of the Election Day deals ... they're still good even after you've voted.

The delivery service is also partnering with nonpartisan org HeadCount to help people register and find polling locations.

Bottom line ... VOTE!!!

It's world pasta day and we're spicing things up with these celebs and their saucy snaps!

It's clear these famous faces are major foodies, and are tortellini in love with these dishes ... and they've clearly got a talent for snapping these pasta-tively amazing food pics!

Stars such as Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Lana Condor are just a few of the famous faces to name that have been showing off their pasta pics!

Get your taste buds going just by taking a look through our gallery of hot celebrity noods ... And be prepared, it might be impastable to resist the cravings!

The secret to Busta Rhymes' jaw-dropping weight loss -- he did what most people wish they'd done in quarantine ... focusing on heavy-duty training and bustin' a sweat every chance he got.

Celebrity trainer, Victor Muñoz, is the guy who guided the rapper through the program that made his bulging gut vanish ... and he tells us the key was pushing heavy metal. Seriously heavy, as you can see in some of Busta's training videos.

Victor tells us, Busta ripped through full-body workouts to strengthen his chest and cut down that belly fat. In the video, it looks like Busta was pushing more than 300 lbs on his bench press!!!

He also drastically changed his eating habits by hiring a chef who prepped meals with leaner meats like chicken, salmon and bison. Victor says Busta also dramatically limited his booze intake.

Victor and the Queens MC have been working together for 8 years, but the trainer says the COVID lockdown offered a rare opportunity -- lots of free time that would normally be spent traveling for performances. He says they committed to using the time to transform Busta's body.

They started with twice a week sessions, sometimes as long as 2 hours -- but now they're up to 3-4 per week. Busta posted a dramatic before-and-after pic, encouraging others to never give up. Muñoz says the results weren't immediate, but they came in due time.

His new album, "Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God" is about to drop, but Busta's not letting up on his fitness. Victor -- who's also trained Diana Ross and "Boardwalk Empire's" Devin Harjes -- says Busta's so dedicated ... he'll choose to walk 16 flights of stairs, instead of taking the elevator, to get to his NYC studio.

LeBron James was back at Nobu in Malibu on Thursday night for a fancy dinner with Anthony Davis and their agent Rich Paul.

Normally, not that big of a deal for 2 teammates to dine with their agent -- but it seems like they're making a statement in the wake of some criticism about their professional relationship.

Earlier Thursday, an anonymous NBA agent went after LeBron and Rich Paul to The Athletic -- essentially saying that Paul is just a puppet for LeBron.

The agent essentially claims LeBron is running the show at the Klutch Sports Group and Paul is just doing his bidding -- which, if true, would be illegal in California since a player is not also allowed to represent talent.

Here's a quote from the article ...

"The worst thing that LeBron is doing is forcing this power with Rich Paul and what that is, in terms of, he’s a player, but he has prowess in the media space. His company Spring Hill, that’s awesome. Doing the movies and all of the projects. That’s so commendable. I love that. But now that they’ve jumped into the agent game, which the reality is, it’s illegal for a player, particularly if you’re in the state of California, to be licensed to represent talent."

The agent suggests several young players have been "seduced" by LeBron to sign with Klutch because they idolized him growing up ... only to end up signing bad deals.

But, neither Bron nor Anthony Davis or Paul seemed to be bothered by the criticism Thursday night -- rolling up to Nobu in fancy cars and enjoying a night at one of the hottest restaurants in town.

TikTok star Bryce Hall can't seem to go out to eat anywhere in L.A. without getting into a fight ... this time, he and his crew were involved in an ugly brawl at a Mexican restaurant, but Bryce says it wasn't his fault.

The violence broke out Monday at Cinco Mexican restaurant near LAX, and video shows Bryce and his boys in a huge scuffle with staffers on the outdoor patio.

Sources with direct knowledge of the incident tell TMZ ... Bryce and his buddies were hanging out on the patio before playing golf at a nearby course, and things took a turn for the worse when a server told Bryce and co. to stop vaping.

It's illegal to vape at restaurants in L.A. but we're told Bryce and his boys refused to quit and Bryce allegedly blew smoke in a staffer's face when asked to stop.

Sources say Bryce and his friends were asked to leave and given the check. When their server went inside to run Bryce's credit card, all hell broke loose.

One source says it was Bryce and his buddies who jumped an employee, with Bryce throwing the first punch and continuing to brawl until other staffers broke it up.

Now, Bryce tells us he was vaping, but says he was cordial when the manager asked him to leave. He claims the trouble started when he had to ask to get his credit card back more than 10 times ... and the manager allegedly told him, "No, get the f*** off the property."

Bryce alleges the manager grabbed him and tried to drag him away, sparking the bigger all-out brawl. He claims he only put the guy in a headlock while defending one of his friends. In the end, Bryce says the manager kicked him in the nuts.

One employee claims to have suffered a potentially broken hand and bruised face in the scuffle ... and named Bryce as his attacker in a police report. We're told he wants to press charges.

Bryce and his friends had already left by the time cops arrived. Bryce claims he has witnesses and video to back up his version of events.

As we reported ... Bryce was also throwing haymakers outside Mel's Diner on Sunset last month.

An unreleased Notorious B.I.G. freestyle about his favorite cola is being turned into a slick commercial for Pepsi ... just in time to big him up for getting into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Biggie's bars were previously only heard during a HOT97 radio appearance he made in 1997 ... shortly before he was gunned down in Los Angeles. He was on with DJ Enuff when he busted the rap about Pepsi.

Not shockingly, Pepsi seized on the chance to promote with Biggie Small's own words and worked with his collaborators, Enuff and Cey Adams, to create an animated short music vid.

Some of the lyrics include, "Big slam, quick slam, tin can, whatever. Whether too cold or too hot, you got to keep Pepsi in the freezer. I keep a 3 liter for my crew. My girl like them diet joints too."

The spot shouts out Biggie's latest industry honor -- on November 7 he will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame -- so, great timing.

Quavo appears to wanna be the next Travis Scott or J Balvin ... as far as hamburgers go.

The Migos rapper just posted some pics of himself at a McDonald's -- where he's ordering his go-to favorite meal. By the looks of it, this seems to be a direct plea to the Golden Arches for a potential partnership -- similar to what they've been doing with artists lately.

Quavo's own "meal deal" would include ... a plain double cheeseburger, their new spicy McNuggets, a medium fry and some barbecue sauce. The line McDonald's employees can yell out to prospective Quavo-inspired customers ... "What U Want???" Has a nice ring to it!

He even posted an up-close shot of what the food bundle looks like from his POV -- it ain't exactly as professional and touched-up as J Balvin's sponsorship shoot, or the inaugural Travis meal that kicked this whole trend off for that matter, but hey ... it's a starting concept.

Now, if Quavo is trying to will a McDonald's deal into existence, there's a big problem from what we can see. Dude forgot to tag @McDonalds!!! C'mon, bruh ... that's marketing 101.

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are returning to the daily grind, slowly but surely ... venturing out together and running some errands, two weeks after their family tragedy.

The couple went on a grocery run Thursday at a Bristol Farms in L.A., the latest indication they are getting back to some semblance of a normal life.

As you know, Chrissy and John's son, Jack, passed away moments after his premature birth, due to complications with the pregnancy ... including severe bleeding from the placenta.

John poured his heart out Wednesday night during the Billboard Music Awards with a moving performance of his song "Never Break" ... which he dedicated to Chrissy.

Great to see the couple's feeling well enough to head out for groceries. They were both wearing face masks, as required in stores.