Famous Food

The Presidential race is still undecided, but we DO have one clear Election Day winner ... and that's the pizza industry!

According to GrubHub ... 5 of its top 8 most popular items ordered Tuesday were pizzas, and another one was a pizza-adjacent appetizer -- garlic knots with marinara.

The popular food delivery app tells TMZ its most popular food item -- based on how much more it was ordered -- was the soppressata piccante pizza. That menu item saw a whopping 202% increase compared to other Tuesdays in October.

Right behind that was Nutella pizza -- which was 192% more popular -- followed by the first non-pizza food ... meatball sliders at 181%.

Rounding out the top 8 was burrata pizza, the aforementioned garlic knots, vegan cheese pizza, loaded curly fries and finally another pizza ... Sicilian.

Every good meal needs a stiff drink, and a margarita on the rocks actually ranked right behind the burrata pizza as one of GrubHub's most-ordered items ... with a 144% increase in popularity. Impressive, but Tres de Noviembre just doesn't roll off the tongue like Cinco de Mayo

Many folks opted for an even stiffer drink ... as the old-fashioned cocktail also saw a 121% rise on Election Day. We're guessing those were ordered late in the evening as the results started tightening up.

Those who had room after pizza and booze did order dessert -- tiramisu orders spiked 181% during dinner hours.

Offset's got an appetite to help people exercising their Constitutional right ... by hooking them up with free grub.

The Migos rapper hit up 3 polling locations Tuesday in Gwinnett and Fulton counties with some major back-up -- food trucks from The Slutty Vegan and Big Dave's ... a couple of ATL staples famous for their cheesesteaks.

Offset partnered with The Lincoln Project and AXSD Media to feed folks in line waiting to cast their vote ... helping to ensure turnout is maximized for what could be the most consequential election ever.

Offset got on the back of a truck, grabbed a bullhorn and talked about his excitement in voting for the first time ever.

Offset dove headfirst into the election following an informative roundtable discussion last weekend with T.I. and activists Lee Merritt and Bakari Sellers. They discussed, among other things, the importance of Black male voters encouraging each other to turn out the vote.

If ya can feed people who show up to vote ... major bonus!

The Texas woman who was super prepared to wait in a long line to cast her ballot early is helping her fellow voters on Election Day ... by providing sustenance.

As we reported ... Belinda Varnado's patriotism and determination were on full display last month in a TikTok where she showed off her early voting survival kit ... including a comfy chair and plenty of snacks.

Belinda told us her video was meant to be a guide for seniors like her on being prepared for long lines at the polls ... and stressed the importance of voting this year along with her daughter, Chevelle Brooks.

The women are practicing what they preach because they made their way to the Toyota Center in Houston on Tuesday -- a major polling site in the city -- to hand out drinks and snacks and help people braving the long lines.

As you can see ... Belinda's her usual charismatic self, bringing that "jush," and both she and Chevelle are prepared to stay there to encourage voting until the polls close.

Attorney General Bill Barr doesn't seem to be on edge like most of the country -- he looks pretty chill after lunch ... and he believes Americans will be chill on election night too.

We got AG Barr leaving the Capital Grille in D.C. Tuesday afternoon, and he tells us he just chowed down on a steak. He looks pretty happy about his meal choice.

The head of the U.S. Department of Justice also tells us he's confident things will remain peaceful as votes are tallied in the 2020 presidential election ... despite the fact the federal government has spent millions on security in anticipation of violence.

As we've reported ... businesses in D.C. and other major cities from coast-to-coast have also been boarding up all week in fear of unrest, regardless of the election results.

Even apartment complexes and banks have sent letters to their residents and customers warning them of potential ugliness due to the contentious election, but as you can see ... Bill's not visibly sweating it.

Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost's wedding announcement on the Meals on Wheels Instagram account paid big time ... for the org, which saw an influx of donations.

A rep for the meal delivery program tells TMZ ... the org saw approximately $10k in donations in the 24 hours after the Meals on Wheels IG account broke the happy news earlier this week. The rep says the online donations came directly from the link it posted on its IG profile.

The org's social media team also had reason to celebrate -- the Scarlett and Colin post had nearly 10 times more "likes" than their previous top post. If nothing else, the Scarlett and Colin news brought people to the MoW page that otherwise might not have ever visited, which, TBH, is unfortunate because the folks over there do a tremendous job feeding the needy.

It's easy to see why Scarlett and Colin chose to let Meals on Wheels break the story ... they've been longtime supporters of the org. The rep tells us the couple had been looking for creative ways to address senior hunger and isolation, especially as the pandemic is disproportionately impacting the population it serves.

The rep added, "We are grateful that they chose to share their wedding spotlight with vulnerable older adults across the country, illuminating their critical needs and what Meals on Wheels is doing to ensure no senior is forgotten."

Duly noted!!!

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.