Famous Food

Sylvester Stallone has an odd recommendation on how to make this already strange Thanksgiving even more bizarre ... ditch the turkey altogether!!!

We got Rocky in Bev Hills and asked about the many challenges families will be facing during their upcoming holiday get-togethers ... and it seems his visit to Mulberry Street Pizzeria was still very much on his mind.

Rambo tells us he thinks everyone needs to switch it up -- just for 2020 -- and dish out Chicago style hot dogs and pizza this year. He even says he's going to do this himself ... though we get the feeling he's fibbing.

Sly sounds sincere about one thing though -- he feels families should be left to decide what's best for them in regards to handling Turkey Day with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Next time you're at Costco, after you buy the obligatory 50 rolls of paper towels, you might want to plunk down a small fortune at checkout for a private jet membership.

Yep, it's a sign of the terrible times. Costco is hawking access to the world of private jets for the very reasonable cost of $17,500.

It's another acknowledgment during COVID times ... lots of people are afraid to hop on a commercial jet with hundreds of passengers.

Here's how it works. Costco hooked up with Wheels Up, a charter jet company offering 1- year memberships. The company touts its service as being as easy as ride-sharing.

So here's what you get for $17.5k -- in addition to the 1-year membership, you get a $3,500 Costco Shop Card and $4,000 in-flight credits. The package includes a 1-year membership to Inspirato, which offers luxury vacation rentals.

Wheels Up has more than 300 planes in its fleet and 1,250 more with partner companies, so there's access to an aircraft pretty much year-round.

He may not be happy in Houston, but Russell Westbrook was all smiles in L.A. on Thursday ... where he celebrated his birthday at one of the swankiest spots in town.

Russ turned the big 3-2 on Thursday -- and hit up Delilah with his wife, Nina, and some close pals (No, James Harden wasn't there).

As you may have heard, Westbrook is looking to leave the Houston Rockets ... where he's reportedly unhappy with the team's "accountability and culture," according to The Athletic.

He apparently wants to play for a squad where "he can have a role similar to his prior, floor-general role in Oklahoma City."

So, Westbrook has reportedly made a trade request with just about a month until the 2020-21 NBA season kicks off. Tick tock ...

Westbrook still has 3 years left on his current contract -- which is set to pay him out more than $132 MILLION.

Costco is giving members a new thing to bitch, moan and fight about ... anyone who can't wear a face mask, has to wear a face shield.

The superstore's nationwide face-covering policy update goes into effect Monday, and the new rules require all members, guests and employees to shield their faces, even if they have a medical condition preventing them from wearing a mask.

Costco was one of the first retailers to roll out mask mandates early on in the coronavirus pandemic, but originally folks with medical conditions could get a pass on face coverings.

It'll be interesting to see if the change sparks a new round of Costco shoppers losing their minds over face shields ... like this guy who got booted from a Costco back in May after refusing to mask up.

Kodak Black's not letting imprisonment stop him from putting food on the table for thousands of folks in Florida this Thanksgiving.

The rapper dropped $15k to provide more than 1,000 frozen turkeys for families in Pompano Beach ... according to his attorney, Bradford Cohen.

We're told Kodak arranged for the birds to be sent to the E. Pat Larkins Community Center on Wednesday, where hundreds of people waited in a long line of cars to get their free food -- including a bag of chips and sodas -- courtesy of the incarcerated rapper.

As you can see ... Kodak's team members were at the community center to safely place the frozen turkeys in recipients' trunks before they drove off. We're told KB's giveaway lasted from 11 AM to 1 PM, and his people were responsible for the huge turnout by putting up flyers in local neighborhoods.

Cohen tells us another community leader who focuses on feeding the needy also helped spread the word for Kodak. We're told the rapper's working with the man on future outreach projects.

Kodak himself will be spending Thanksgiving in his new prison cell at USP Thomson, a high-security prison in Illinois. As we first told you ... he got transferred there last month from the Kentucky prison where he claimed he was being tortured.

It was TACO (and Sushi) TUESDAYYYYYY at The Masters this week ... Tiger Woods finally got to host his champions dinner at Augusta -- and he picked Mexican food and rolls for the occasion!

If you're unfamiliar ... every year at golf's most prestigious tournament, the past year's winner gets to host previous champs for a feast before tee times begin.

Normally, it all goes down in April -- and it's LAVISH -- but because of COVID, Tiger had to wait 7 months to do the honors.

Don't worry, Tiger still was able to get in an April celebration ... remember his backyard Masters dinner with his kids and GF???

But, when the time finally came for Woods to do the real thing on Tuesday before the major tourney begins in Georgia ... he sure as hell delivered.

Tiger picked an exotic menu ... there was an Augusta Roll (featuring tempura shrimp and spicy tuna), and prime steak and chicken fajitas.

For dessert, Tiger offered up flan, churros and sopapillas. He even had everyone wash it down with some fancy red wine!!

Seemed like it was all a hit ... Jack Nicklaus tweeted of the evening, "Mr. Woods has gotten a lot of practice at picking a menu. 💯"

The Masters officials say the dinner was pared down this season to help prevent the spread of COVID ... explaining only 33 people were allowed to attend.

Ya wanna know what Bill Belichick hates more than losing?? Coffee and everything about it -- the smell, the taste and even java-flavored treats.

Like ... the dude freakin' LOATHES the stuff with a burning passion.

Here's how we know -- the New England Patriots coach came clean on his disgust for joe in an interview with WEEI's "Ordway, Merloni, and Fauria Show" on Tuesday ... and it basically turned into a roasting session on all things coffee.

"Look, I mean I understand I am probably missing it, but I just don’t like coffee," Belichick said.

"I can’t stand the smell of coffee. I don’t like coffee ice cream and I like every sweet that has ever been made. But, that’s not one of them."

"I don’t like coffee-flavored anything."

He didn't stop there.

"I just don’t have the taste for it. I've tried, but it just doesn’t work for me. My grandmother put a glass of milk and poured like probably a thimble of coffee and I couldn’t even drink that."

"It’s just one of those things I didn’t develop a taste for. I didn’t develop a taste for scotch either. I tried that. I just couldn’t develop a taste for it," he added.

"Nothing against coffee. Nothing against Dunkin' Donuts. Nothing against anything, it’s just not for me."

There's a limited edition Travis Scott McDonald's action figure on the resale market ... and it's gonna cost you a lot more than his $6 signature meal.

Here's the deal ... someone who scored the super-rare figurine from Travis' collab with Mickey D's is looking to sell the action figure on reseller marketplace StockX for a cool $55,000 ... and that's not a typo.

The action figure depicts the rapper holding a McDonald's tray with his Travis Scott Meal -- a $6 deal that comes with a Quarter Pounder with cheese and bacon, medium fries with BBQ sauce and a Sprite.

The rare figurine was given out to a handful of lucky folks via sweepstakes ... and McDonald's says the figurines are handcrafted and numbered.

Fans have already shown an appetite for all things Travis and McDonald's ... his meal has been super popular at McD's locations across the nation, with some stores running low on ingredients after its launch, and Travis also released an extremely popular merch line with everything from chicken nugget-shaped pillows to t-shirts.

The craze started with a bang too ... with Travis getting mobbed by a huge crowd when he showed up to celebrate the launch at a McDonald's in Downey, CA.

It's so good to know ... even chill Canada is losing it.

Check out this video of a McDonald's in Toronto, where a very impatient customer got out of her car in the drive-thru and walked to the window, which enraged the dude behind her.

She called the guy a "fat bitch," middle fingers come to attention and there's plenty of anger and cursing. She threatens to spit on the guy and then blanches that he keeps calling her Karen. She says she's not a Karen, but ...

Trae Young with the assist!!!

The Atlanta Hawks superstar did a VERY cool thing on Friday -- splurging for lunch for the people counting ballots at State Farm Arena ... and they couldn't be happier about it!

The 22-year-old NBA sensation's rep hit up Jason's Deli in midtown Atlanta -- and told the crew Young wanted to do something nice for everyone helping out with the election process.

Young ended up buying 50 boardroom box lunches -- complete with sandwiches, chips, a pickle and a cookie. He also sprung for extra fruit side items for all. Way to keep it healthy!

Total cost -- $670 plus a nice 20% tip.

Obviously, Young can afford it -- he's super-rich, but this is more about the gesture than the price.

The Fulton County election workers were stoked when the food arrived with a note from Young that read, "Thanks for all you do!"

Fulton County thanked Young and the ATL Hawks -- noting the NBA team has "supported us throughout this election process."

There's a ton of pressure on the election workers in ATL right now -- as the votes in that area are playing a pivotal role in the presidential election.

Pour one out for Keith Smith's poor toilet ...

The Atlanta Falcons fullback admitted this week he has a SERIOUS affinity for Chipotle ... explaining he gets bowls from the Mexican food joint 4 or 5 times a day!!

"You probably won't believe it," Smith said on the "Endless Hustle" podcast this week. "But, most people who know me know that it's legit."

The 6-foot, 240-pound NFLer explained he uses the restaurant as a way to sort of meal prep.

Smith -- who turned 28 back in April -- says he gets his bowls compartmentalized ... getting the chicken, rice and beans all separate so he can concoct the deliciousness whenever he's ready.

"Like, this is not a joke," Smith said. "Like, 4 or 5 times a day, I got my bowl. Same thing every time."

As for why Chipotle and not El Pollo Loco or some other spot? Smith says it's simple ... "You know what you going to get. The consistency."

In case you were wondering, a modest Chipotle chicken burrito bowl has around 800 calories in it. So, do the math -- that's roughly 4,000 calories of Chipotle PER DAY!!

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!!!