Famous Food

Struggling to make plans for New Year's Eve? Mariah Carey's got ya covered with this SICK dome up for grabs through Airbnb.

The vacation rental company is offering this unbelievable 1-night stay under the New Year's Eve Ball at Times Square. The lucky person who books this, along with their guest, will stay on Nasdaq's outdoor terrace ... where they'll sleep and chill inside their very own geodesic dome, with panoramic views of the crystal ball and the Big Apple for that matter.

But, wait ... there's more!!!

Mariah's virtual hosting duties include her serenading the lucky guests. Plus, there's also a $5,000 shopping credit for shops along Fifth Avenue or local Times Square shops.

And, while the world counts down to the end of an awful 2020, guests will enjoy access to an indoor lounge where they can relax, drink some bubbly and watch the world celebrate on TV. Dinner will be provided by a private chef. And, how's this for a cool memento ... a sparkly piece of the crystal featured in this year's Waterford Crystal Times Square NYE Ball design.

This all sounds incredible, for sure. The 1-night booking's just $21 ... but there's a catch.

It's on a first-come, first-serve basis but only open to guests who can prove they're NYC residents. They must also currently live in the same household and must meet COVID health and safety criteria ... like documentation proving they're COVID free.

Dionne Warwick's musings on Chance The Rapper and The Weeknd are turning into tangible benefits -- they're getting together to help feed the hungry.

Here's the deal ... Dionne and Chance are working together on an initiative to feed homeless people, after starting a friendship on Twitter. Chance announced Tuesday on Windy City LIVE in Chicago they'll be raising money with a new song -- and TMZ's learned The Weeknd will be joining them for the collab.

Dionne's son, Dionne Damon Elliott, tells TMZ ... he's writing and producing the track, which is called "Nothing's Impossible." DDE says The Weeknd decided to get in on the action after a phone call with Dionne, where he expressed how food insecurity is personal for him. The Weeknd was once homeless himself.

We're told money from song streams will benefit Hunger Not Impossible ... an org connecting folks in need with prepaid, nutritious to-go meals from local restaurants all over the country.

DDE says the track will drop early next year ... they haven't nailed down a release date because production is in the early stages. We're told Dionne's sent some of her vocals over to Chance and The Weeknd.

Prue Leith the "Great British Bake Off" star is now happily vaccinated against the novel coronavirus ... and she's wondering why some people are balking at the shot.

Prue, who of course lives in the UK, is the first celebrity to publicize getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The star of the Netflix show announced Tuesday she got it, and described it as nothing more than a "painless jab."

The UK approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine 2 weeks ago, becoming the first country to do so, and started the rollout last week ... prioritizing healthcare workers and the elderly. Just in case you're thinking Prue got some kinda celeb preference, she didn't ... she's 80 years old.

As you know ... the first vaccinations in the U.S. started Monday, with intensive-care nurse Sandra Lindsay becoming the first person to get the shot in New York.

Sandra, who is Black, was hailed for her bravery for getting the shot in public ... especially due to the fact a majority of African-Americans say they don't trust the vaccine, and won't get it.

For instance ... Offset told us, point blank, he's not lining up for the shot, and explained why.

Prue doesn't get that hesitation and says, "Who wouldn't want immunity from #Covid19 with a painless jab??"

Duncan Robinson is known for his shooting, but the Miami Heat hooper came up with a huge assist this weekend ... by donating 10,000 meals to help those in need this holiday season.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 26-year-old ex-Michigan star was in the giving spirit on Saturday ... so he teamed up with A-Sha Foods to help put meals on the table for the people of South Florida.

Robinson ended up hand-delivering his contribution on Saturday in Pembroke Park, FL ... rolling up his sleeves and personally helping dish out the packs of ramen noodles.

It's been a great 2020 for Robinson -- the dude had a breakout season and averaged 13 points per game after 3 points per game in his rookie campaign.

Robinson also played a huge role in the Heat's NBA Finals run in the bubble ... so yeah, there were plenty of reasons to be thankful this year.

Dionne Warwick's calling on her A-list friends to help celebrate her 80th birthday ... which is doubling as a fundraiser for an important cause.

The legendary singer hopped on "TMZ Live" Friday to dish deets on her Holiday Musical Birthday Celebration ... a virtual party and concert, going down Saturday, her 80th birthday.

Dionne's using the occasion to lift spirits with her angelic voice while also raising money for Hunger Not Impossible ... an org connecting kids and families in need with prepaid, nutritious to-go meals from nearby restaurants.

Some of Dionne's pals joining the festivities include Aloe Blacc and country stars John Rich and the Oak Ridge Boys -- but anyone can join through her website, where fans can buy packages with cool perks. Aside from getting entry to the virtual event, you can get a private Zoom meet-and-greet with Dionne and a special shout out from her.

And, Dionne's still making new friends ... she told us all about the friendship she's formed with Chance the Rapper since she playfully checked him on his stage name.

Joe Burrow turned 24 years old Thursday -- and celebrated with a little steak and lobster, courtesy of his girlfriend.

No giant rager, no wild night out. Just a quiet little evening at home with "Thursday Night Football" on his iPad.

Of course, Burrow is recovering from knee surgery -- plus, we're still in the middle of a pandemic -- so, seems he did the responsible thing!

The dinner looked solid -- surf & turf with asparagus in the side. And, some cupcakes for dessert!

Looks like the meal was for 2 -- Joe and his longtime girlfriend, Olivia Holzmacher.

Though it appears the couple had some private chefs in the house to prepare the whole thing (also looks like they were wearing masks).

Remember, Joe told us one of the first things he would invest in after getting drafted was a private chef and said his favorite meal is steak and lobster with a side of asparagus!

It's only been a week since Burrow underwent surgery to repair his ACL, MCL, PCL and meniscus damage in his left knee after suffering a nasty injury against Washington last month.

So, sit back, relax and try to enjoy being a quiet evening at home, right?

Also, bonus points for the C-3PO sweater.

The L.A. restaurant owner who called it a "slap in the face" her place is shut down -- while a film set operates next door -- might be back in biz soon ... thanks to an outpouring of support.

Employees at the Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill in Sherman Oaks tell TMZ ... awareness of the restaurant's struggle has skyrocketed and led to an influx of donations. ICYMI ... owner Angela Marsden called out Governor Newsom and L.A. Mayor Garcetti for apparent double standards with COVID-19 restrictions.

Pineapple Hill's GoFundMe has currently raised about $150,000, and we're told because of the generosity, there's a strong chance it will be able to reopen for takeout soon ... allowing employees to earn a much-needed paycheck again.

While celebs like Maria Shriver have encouraged people to donate, we're told others like Ricky Schroder, Todd Hoffman (Wheels from "Meatballs") and Maria's son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, have also hit up the restaurant directly, offering to help in any way possible.

As for the restaurant's newfound fame ... employees tell us it's a team effort right now to keep spreading the word about why small businesses need to be allowed to operate outdoors. Some of the workers are even helping Marsden schedule media interviews to do so.

Pineapple Grill tells us it did get some backlash from people who thought they were doing a disservice to the entertainment workers who were being employed on the film set. It wants to clarify it has no problem with that, and it supports all those who were working on the set of NBC's "Good Girls" that day.

Cops in Georgia are searching for this maniac who stabbed a teenage Dunkin' Donuts worker -- on video -- because the joint didn't have the flavor he wanted.

This went down over the weekend in Union City, GA where a drive-thru customer got irate the Dunkin' had run out of his favorite donut. Union City PD tells TMZ ... the guy left, but returned a short time later and went inside to start arguing with the employee.

You can see from the video, things got violent quickly ... as the suspect started flailing away with a knife ... stabbing the 17-year-old worker twice -- once in the left forearm and the upper arm.

The suspect fled before cops arrived ... bolting in a red Audi with a female passenger. Police are still looking for him, and asking for the public's help.

NASA sent a massive goody bag of supplies and treats up into space this week to help their astronauts out for the holidays -- and we found out what they're noshing on!!!

A rep for NASA tells TMZ ... part of the resupply load, aboard a SpaceX capsule, that docked at the International Space Station Monday were thousands of pounds of cargo for scientific research -- and also some fresh grub.

We're told among some of the fresh food items -- which is a rare treat in space, since most everything is either freeze-dried or thermostabilized -- was a bunch of fruit. Sounds basic, but in space ... even a first bite at the apple is something to savor for these expeditions.

Some of that produce included Gala apples, navel and blood oranges, mandarin oranges, and ... lemons!!! Hey, when life gives 'em to you, gotta make the most of it right???

We're told there were also some holiday-themed hot foods sent up as well -- which are all probably arriving in some type of airtight packaging, a la Tang.

Among that lot, NASA says it shipped stuff like cherry blueberry cobbler, cornbread dressing, cranapple dessert, jellied cranberry sauce, macaroni & cheese, potatoes au gratin, roasted turkey, shortbread cookies, southwestern corn, sparkle gel, spicy green beans, french vanilla cappuccino and wheat flatbread. Mmmm -- space munchies 😁.

BTW, these are the same astronauts that were shot up into the sky a few short weeks ago in another SpaceX Dragon capsule. So, they're probably due to a fresh shot of fuel.

Pete Davidson making fun of a bar in his hometown and its stance against COVID restrictions is pissing off a lot of the locals, and they're blasting him for it.

A Staten Island activist named Mr. Tobacco tore the 'SNL' star a new one Monday during a news conference over the watering hole called Mac's Public House -- which has been in the news a lot lately for defying COVID closures.

ICYMI ... one of Mac's co-owners, Danny Presti, was arrested AGAIN this weekend after he allegedly let people inside (against a closure order). Tobacco and co. were addressing that when he referred to Pete's 'Weekend Update' appearance, where he criticized the Staten Island community and Mac's owners for acting like babies.

Welp, Mr. Tobacco says Pete's words are a betrayal, considering people in town know him and his fam. He got very personal and even referenced Pete's father ... a firefighter who died on 9/11 in the Twin Towers.

You'll have to watch the video to see how he frames it ... but it's pretty clear that Tobacco and some of the other Mac members were hurt by Pete, who Tobacco calls someone with a huge platform putting the little guy down.

How'd Tyrod Taylor get over an embarrassing 45-0 loss on Sunday??

DATE NIGHT WITH DRAYA MICHELE, BABY!!!

Just hours after the Chargers were pummeled by the Patriots at SoFi Stadium ... Taylor decided to date the pain away by hitting up an Orange County hotspot with his model GF.

The two were all smiles as they strolled into Lido Marina Village in Newport Beach ... and yeah, doesn't seem like L.A.'s backup QB was too hurt about his team's horrendous loss earlier in the day.

Then again ... how could you NOT smile on a night out with Draya?!?!

Michele posted about the evening on her social media page ... sharing a video of the couple's cocktails and writing, "Last night to dine out in LA."

Michele and Taylor have been linked for the past couple months now ... and it seems the two are going strong despite the global pandemic and the Chargers' abysmal season.

An L.A. restaurant owner is calling out Mayor Garcetti and Gov. Newsom for allowing film sets to continue operating, while once again closing down outdoor dining ... but her comparison might be apples to oranges as far as containing the virus.

This is restaurateur Angela Marsden, and she posted a video showing  a movie production in full swing -- with outdoor tables and tents set up right next door to her now-shuttered eatery, Pineapple Hill Saloon & Grill, in Sherman Oaks.

In the video, Marsden says she can't fathom why her restaurant was forced to shut down (again) -- even after she had successfully ran outdoor dining for months behind her building -- but film sets like this, which look virtually identical in set-up dining-wise, can soldier on.

The new rule -- restaurants close on-the-spot dining, while music/video production can keep rolling -- is one of many that have left Angelenos scratching their head as Mayor Garcetti has instituted a new stay-at-home order in the City, which just got expanded to all of SoCal.

In a section about activities and businesses allowed to keep operating, production in L.A. can continue -- which explains the Sherman Oaks set -- but it says clearly ... they gotta follow COVID protocols as outlined by the County.

That's where Marsden might be mistaken in her juxtaposition. Fact is ... there's a ton of rules that production companies must abide by in order to shoot, including regular testing, plus a bunch of other mandates ... mask-wearing, temp checks, social distancing, sanitized sets, etc.

The big difference is the testing, and who's allowed in or out. A movie or TV shoot can have an awful lot of people on hand (just like a restaurant) at any given time, but the dinstinction is that the set -- while it's shooting -- is treated almost like a bubble, whereas a restaurant is revolving door of strangers, who aren't required to get tested to partake.

The old adage "There's no such thing as bad publicity" is ringing true for TRUE Kitchen + Kocktails ... because all's very well after its recent twerking controversy.

The Dallas restaurant's owner, Kevin Kelley, tells TMZ ... the joint's been inundated with requests to dine there since he gained some notoriety for his anti-twerking speech earlier this week.

He says TRUE's been a reservation-only business since they opened 5 months ago, and they're all booked up now for the foreseeable future. More importantly, Kelley says sales have remained strong in wake of what went down ... and he has no plans to change anything up.

The owner tells us ... "I'm glad the public has had a chance to decide what they do and don’t want in their restaurants. The effect on our restaurant has been overwhelmingly positive."

He adds that former Dallas Cowboy Dez Bryant's been a supporter, and says ... "We’ve received an outpouring of support that we did not anticipate online and in person. This lets us know the public believes in our vision for the restaurant and they will support a concept working to fill a void in our communities."

In case you missed it ... Kelley received both praise and backlash for his stance against twerking in his restaurant, and doubled down -- it's just something he doesn't want at his establishment.

"Jersey Shore" stars Snooki and Deena are getting dragged into a food fight, but not in the cafeteria, this one's in court and it's all over their meatball merch.

The Meatball Shop just filed a lawsuit against Snooki and Deena, claiming the duo's meatball merch is full of the New York sandwich shop's trademarks.

As "Jersey Shore" fans surely remember ... Snooki and Deena call themselves the meatballs on the reality show, and now they're using the moniker to sell shirts and hoodies on the Internet.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, The Meatball Shop claims Snooki and Deena straight-up jacked the store's swag and slapped it on a bunch of merchandise ... totally ignoring the restaurant's cease and desist letter.

The Meatball Shop is no fan of Snooki and Deena's side hustle ... in the docs, they say the reality stars' merch is ruining their brand's good name.

This is the definition of a sitting duck -- a dead bird gunned down by hunters got swallowed up by a massive alligator ... and it's all on video!!!

The wildlife (and death) scene went down on a Florida lake after some hunters had shot down the duck. Its body was floating when an absolutely enormous gator came into the picture.

The hunters instantly knew they had zero chance to claim their prize when they saw ol' Godzilla here swimming toward the carcass.

The gator opened wide and the whole duck disappeared in one big gulp. Apparently, duck is kinda gamey ... as the alligator took a good 20 chomps to get down the fowl snack. Maybe it just likes playing with its food.

Truthfully, this wouldn't be that bizarre of a scene -- definitely bad timing for the hunters -- but what really stands out is the SIZE of this reptile. Florida, man.

A Black restaurant owner went off on a section of mostly Black women after one of them got up at their booth and twerked ... and now he's getting dragged AND applauded, while also defending his actions.

The incident went down at a joint called TRUE Kitchen + Kocktails -- it opened just 5 months ago -- when the owner, Kevin Kelley, says multiple women got up and danced on their chairs up against a glass wall.

Kevin just wasn't having it and decided to loudly let everyone in the restaurant know about his ground rules, which several people recorded. You see him walk over to one of the twerkers and shut her down.

Another video shows him lecturing women in that section of the restaurant ... which many did not dig. He said he doesn't wanna see that type of behavior in his establishment, and that if they don't like it ... get out.

Now, we talked to Kevin on "TMZ Live" Monday, and pressed him on what exactly he had a problem with -- twerking, in general ... or the fact that it was happening in his building? He insisted it was the latter, noting there was a time and place for that type of dancing.

However, watch what he says about "classy and nice Black women" at his restaurant because it's at the heart of the backlash -- the insinuation being twerking doesn't fit that description ... for him.

You can watch and judge for yourself, but long story short -- his tone didn't sit right with a lot of people who feel TRUE bumping music, serving booze and promoting itself like clubs do make it ripe for dancing.