Famous Food

Things Lincoln Riley is good at ... coaching football, drawing up plays and winning games.

Things the OU head coach is bad at ... brisket -- clearly.

The 37-year-old Sooners head man showed off his Easter dinner on social media Sunday ... and the meat he cooked was so dry, some questioned whether it was actually pumpernickel!!

Check out the photo Riley shared ... the meat was cooked to a crisp -- and the poor dude was ROASTED over it!!!

The comments were relentless ...

"Dear Lord, please see what real TX brisket looks like and never cook a brisket again.  Ever."

"If you drop your phone in water you could put it in a bag with this brisket to dry it out."

"This mf loves football so much he eats it for dinner."

"Did you pull that out of Jesus’s tomb?"

"I don’t know why everyone is roasting this. That pumpernickel looks delicious."

For his part, Riley seemed to defend the cooked cow in the wake of the backlash ... writing to one critic, "Haha ask @BwylieSTRONG if it was legit....."

That guy, OU's Director of Sports Performance Bennie Wylie, had Riley's back ... adding, "Unbelievable... Brisket tacos on point!"

A woman in Memphis made it clear -- she's having it her way or else -- and when she didn't get what she wanted, she unloaded a couple rounds inside the fast-food joint.

Cops say the suspect was beefing with employees because she felt she was waiting too long at the drive-thru. She got out of her car and the argument got more intense.

It escalated further, turning violent when she grabbed a gun from her car and, according to cops, fired shots through the window ... sending employees scurrying in terror as they fled through the back door. Thankfully no employees were hurt.

The woman was brazen ... staring right into the surveillance cam right before she unloaded her gun.

According to cops ... the suspect got back in her car and sped off with a man behind the wheel. No arrests have been made but cops are on the hunt.

The Weeknd is getting involved with the military conflict in Ethiopia -- donating a million dollars, which will provide food for people who need it there.

The singer, who is of Ethiopian descent himself, partnered with World Food Program USA -- a UN World Food Programme affiliate -- to send over a million bucks toward relief efforts in the North African country ... which has been mired with bloodshed and chaos for months.

Specifically, Abel's money will provide the equivalent of 2 million meals for citizens there who have been caught in the middle of the feuding factions ... many of whom are running out of resources, like food.

TW says, "My heart breaks for my people of Ethiopia as innocent civilians ranging from small children to the elderly are being senselessly murdered and entire villages are being displaced out of fear and destruction." He goes on to encourage others who can to donate as well.

If you haven't heard, Ethiopia has been embroiled in a bitter battle with its own people since November -- when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered an attack on the Tigray People's Liberation Front -- the ruling party in the northern part of the region.

The PM accused them of attacking a government military base and attempting to steal weapons and artillery. Keep in mind, this all came to a head after tensions had been brewing between the two groups for quite some time, and as the country had been fully attempting to transition into a democratic system of government. Safe to say ... it's complicated.

Cops are on the hunt for suspects who allegedly got into a fight with Taco Bell employees at the drive-thru ... then plowed through a group of people as it crashed into the front of the place.

The insane incident went down in Charles County, Maryland ... where police say the suspects committed a hit-and-run a little after 10 PM Wednesday.

The video shows the suspect's vehicle pull up to a small crowd in front of the T Bell, then back up a little bit before flooring it into a few people as it smashes through the entrance.

According to Charles County law enforcement ... the occupants in the vehicle were in an argument with an employee working the drive-thru before the hit-and-run. Cops say they were told one of the suspects got out and assaulted the employee at the window, then got back in the vehicle.

The driver then allegedly pulled up to the front ... which is where the vid picks up. Police say 2 people were treated at the scene for injuries and one was taken to the hospital for injuries that are not life-threatening.

Cops say they located the vehicle shortly afterward at a nearby house, and we're told cops are working on positively identifying the driver.

Travis Scott loves his new spiked seltzer beverage so much ... he's willing to sneak in a case of it to one of the nicest restaurants in L.A.

The rapper hit up Malibu's Nobu restaurant Sunday night with some friends, but instead of sipping on sake, wine or cocktails ... he was apparently cracking open cans of CACTI, his recently-launched booze brand.

Trav posted a video of an open 9-pack of the beverage next to him at his table, along with a shot of his ocean view.

The scene was a lot more serene than a couple weeks ago, when Scott showed up at a grocery store to promote CACTI and caused a chaotic and potentially dangerous scene.

Of course, that's kind of become his thing during the pandemic ... whether he's hyping up a new magazine or his very own value meal at McDonald's, Travis has been drawing huge, often unexpected, crowds.

Imagine a world where the oceans have ZERO fish -- that's pretty much doomsday for the planet, and it could happen by 2048 ... at least based on Kip Andersen's research while making "Seaspiracy."

The producer of the popular Netflix documentary joined TMZ Live and laid out the dangerous impact he says commercial fishing's having on our oceans. He claims it's, in essence, creating a seismic ripple effect on climate change.

Kip makes no bones about it ... the leading cause of the ocean's destruction is the fishing industry, and he says it's a damn shame its impact has been intentionally covered up. But, not anymore.

Kip, who also made 'Cowspiracy,' says his latest doc shines a light on the impact commercial fishing has on our oceans -- but adds the damage goes well beyond environmental. He claims social rights issues also plague the industry -- including allegations of slavery -- and they uncovered it while making "Seaspiracy."

The NYC bakery employee who had to deal with shocking, racist behavior from a woman with the new moniker "Bagel Karen" has been feeling the love from lots of folks since the incident went viral ... and it goes beyond financial support.

Vic -- the Davidovich Bakery worker who got called the n-word by Stephanie Denaro -- tells TMZ he's received overwhelming support from people all over the world on social media, but also customers flocking to the store.

He says during his Wednesday shift, one guy handed him a $100 bill in an envelope while another gifted him a $100 Metro card to help with his commute. Vic tells us his tip jar's also been stuffed ... and people have been calling the bakery to ask for his Venmo as well.

But, another customer felt helping Vic get rid of Karen's negative energy or any she left behind in the bakery was more important ... so she gave him some sage.

As we reported ... Vic's also been offered representation by several attorneys in case he wants to take legal action against Denaro, but he tells us he's still weighing his options. However, he doesn't plan to press charges against her.

In fact, Vic tells us he mostly wants his experience to be a lesson for others in his position on how a person of color can react to a racist. He says you don't have to respond to their insults and slurs with violence ... it's better to show love, even if they're demonstrating hate.

Radio hosts in New York compared their toast preferences to famous Black women's skin tones during a segment ... and yeah, it came off every bit as bad as you'd think.

The racially-charged convo aired Wednesday morning on Buffalo's 97 Rock, with Morning Bull Show co-host Rob Lederman comparing toasted bread to a trio of black celebs -- Serena Williams, Halle Berry and Gayle King.

Lederman says he toasts his bread in line with how attractive he finds certain Black women ... essentially saying Serena is too dark for his taste, Gayle's not even a thought and Halle is just right.

The fallout has been swift ... Cumulus Media, which owns the station, says it already fired Lederman and suspended the other co-hosts, including Rich "Bull" Gaenzler and Chris Klein.

The guy who says he found shrimp tails and other disturbing objects in a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch is going coast-to-coast to answer the burning question -- what the hell did he eat???

Jensen Karp, husband of "Boy Meets World" star Danielle Fishel, tells TMZ ... labs across the country are offering their services to figure out what exactly was in his box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, including one here in Los Angeles and another in New Jersey.

Jensen tells us he struck out 3 times Tuesday in L.A. -- trying a diagnostics lab, a hospital and an emergency room to test the black objects from his box of CTC. However, he says a NJ-based company is stepping up to test the substance ... which he fears might be rat poop.

Sending it cross country will take a little more time, so Jensen's gonna have to wait longer than he hoped to solve the mystery. He's on edge because he says he ate one bowl before noticing the strange objects ... but so far, he says he's showing no ill effects.

Meanwhile, Jensen says folks at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County are setting him up with a company pledging to pay for DNA testing on the alleged shrimp tails.

Remember, CTC's initial response on Twitter was that Jensen didn't find shrimp tails, but "an accumulation of the cinnamon sugar that sometimes can occur when ingredients aren't thoroughly blended."

We're told the DNA tests will not only tell if it is indeed shrimp but where the shrimp is from specifically. Millions of CTC lovers are on the edge of their seats, just like Jensen is.

A guy claims he found the tail end of some shrimp in his cereal -- something General Mills assures him can't be the case, but he's definitely not buying it.

Writer/Producer Jensen Karp documented what he claims was a gross morning breakfast session Monday, posting pics of various artifacts he says he found inside his new box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. He says he found shrimp tails in there ... 2 of 'em to be exact!!!

Jensen started by asking (and officially tagging) CTC's Twitter account why there were apparently crustacean remnants in his just-unsealed box ... which sparked quite a journey of what he describes as excuses and gaslighting.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch, at first, responded by apologizing and asking for more details ... while also offering a new box as a quick remedy. Then, CTC claimed, upon further examination, its quality control team came to the conclusion that they weren't shrimp tails ... but simply large, dried-up sugar clumps!

Jensen -- who's married to "Boy Meets World" star Danielle Fishel, BTW -- didn't seem to accept that answer ... as he posted close-up shots of the alleged shrimp tails. He claims he went digging even further and found more gross stuff ... including a small piece of string and tiny specks of black gunk on some of the cereal.

Some folks on the Internet theorized the stuff might be mouse or rat droppings ... which opens up a whole other can of worms that makes us gag just thinking about.

As for where things ended here ... Jensen says he's heading back to Costco -- where he bought the cereal -- to get some answers. He's also waiting for more from CTC's parent company General Mills.

We, too, have reached out to General Mills ... so far, no word back.

Krispy Kreme is offering a sweet reward for folks who get vaccinated against COVID-19 ... free donuts!!!

The nationwide donut chain says folks with valid COVID vaccination cards can snag a free Original Glazed donut just by showing proof of the shots ... and the offer's good every day for the rest of the year.

Think about it, a free donut every time you step into a Krispy Kreme with your vaccination card ... this may be a more effective way to get people vaccinated than celebrity endorsements.

Remember, former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter joined forces to encourage Americans to get COVID-19 vaccines ASAP ... but they weren't offering free donuts!

Krispy Kreme says the freebies are good at all of their 369 shops across 41 states with no purchase necessary ... ya just gotta visit the store in person or drive-thru.

Kent Taylor, the man who founded the wildly successful Texas Roadhouse restaurant chain, has taken his own life after experiencing severe, post-COVID side effects.

Taylor suffered from tinnitus -- ringing in the ears -- which his family says greatly intensified in the last days of his life and ultimately became unbearable. At its worst, tinnitus can sound like a jet engine roaring inside the ears.

The family said, "Kent battled and fought hard," but ultimately the suffering became too great.

Kent was a master businessman, who founded Texas Roadhouse back in 1993. He came up with the idea on a cocktail napkin and brought it to life with the first restaurant located in Louisville, Kentucky. The plan took hold, and eventually, there were 537 Texas Roadhouses in 49 states, with 10 international locations.

Kent got national attention last Spring when he earmarked his entire salary to help support frontline workers during the pandemic.

He suffered from tinnitus, but it apparently flared up in a big way after he contracted COVID.   There's data indicating tinnitus is exacerbated by coronavirus.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said, "He was a maverick entrepreneur who embodied the values of never giving up and putting others first."

Kent was 65.

This would have been a case for Erik Estrada ... because one good chip deserves another.

A dude in Oklahoma City thought it would be a good idea to steal a Doritos truck that was sitting unattended at a local gas station. Yeah, he did that.

The dude in question -- Joshua Karpe -- and we do mean in question because a Doritos truck wrapped in one gigantic advertisement is not exactly your run-of-the-mill Honda on the road.

This was a layup for cops, who easily spotted the ad for Doritos Nacho Cheese chips.

Karpe didn't go down easy ... police chased him through 3 counties -- 90 minutes in all -- before shooting the tires out and arresting him.

Police Captain Jeff Spruill was incredulous ... “I would love to know the motivation of stealing a truck that’s very, very easy to spot and doesn’t go very fast,” adding, “What do you think you’re going to do with a truck like that?”

Kourtney Kardashian has some very specific, and graphic, sexual demands for her BF Travis Barker -- or she's a huge fan of 80s punk rock. Or both. 🤷🏽‍♂️

Travis and Kourtney hit up Nobu in Malibu at around 10 PM Friday ... rolling up in Travis's Rolls, and Kourt's fashion choice might say a lot about how she rolls, so to speak.

Yeah, take a closer look at her graphic (double entendre intended) tee -- it says "Beat me, bite me, suck me, f**k me" ... and there are a couple more lines we can't even write out.

We know what you're thinking ... So, that's what she's into!

Not exactly. Those are actually pretty famous (in punk rock circles) lyrics from a song called "Love Me" by The Queers -- and they make for eye-catching fashion too.

Travis and Kourtney have been dating for at least several months that we know of, although Kourtney confirmed it just last month when she posted a pic of their interlocking hands. Based on the shirt she picked for date night, we'd say they're verrry comfortable.

ICYMI ... they've been super close for years -- 15 to be exact. They met back in the day, when Travis was dating Paris Hilton. Memba that?

Kourtney and Travis have spent lots of time together, as have their kids.  She was a key player when Travis bought a house near hers in Calabasas country and helped him renovate it. It's a case of friendship simmering for a long time to a romantic boil.

JOEY CHESTNUT'S STILL GOT IT!!!

The food legend proved once again he's still the king of shoveling meat down his throat -- devouring more than 30 boneless wings in 90 seconds at an FCF eating competition ... all while beating out teams of massive football players!

The face-stuffing event went down Wednesday night just outside of Atlanta at the Infinite Energy Center, where the Fan Controlled Football league hosted its first-ever eating event.

37-year-old Chestnut -- the greatest eater of all-time -- was matched up against four teams of two ... which included squads featuring hungry-ass linemen.

Chestnut, though, was able to pound down more chicken by himself than every other team ... plowing through 33 wings in the allotted 1.5 minutes.

It was no boat race ... 2nd place ate 31 and 3rd place at 28 -- and even Joey had to tip his hat to the other guys after taking the crown.

"I knew I was going slow," Chestnut said, "but they were eating!"

Props to Joey for yet another win under his belt ... now get back to the hot dogs -- 4th of July is less than four months away!

Travis Scott went to work, literally, to make sure his new spiked seltzer hit local shelves ... but in the process, he caused a chaotic, and potentially dangerous, scene.

Scott hit up several grocery stores around Los Angeles Monday to promote his CACTI spiked seltzer. The rapper went inside a Pavillions in West Hollywood to check on his product and grab a pack of gum ... only to be swarmed by fans.

You can see the cashier and another customer get engulfed by the crowd as Travis signs autographs and tries to pay for his gum.

What's most upsetting about the video ... some fans aren't wearing masks, and every time he speaks, or yells, Travis pulls his own mask down ... defeating the whole point of wearing one.

Grocery stores have gone to great lengths to make sure customers can shop safely, and to see the safe practices like mask-wearing and social distancing completely ignored -- essentially over a pack of gum -- is sure to enrage store management.