Famous Food

Stephen Ritz is already getting national attention, from the likes of Michelle Obama no less, for teaching students how to grow veggies ... and he's being called a hero for how that food was used during the pandemic.

The best-selling author, public school teacher and founder of Green Bronx Machine joined us Friday on "TMZ Live" and explained ... his students do learn how to grow their own food and cook.

But, Stephen says his program also teaches them other skills ... like reading, writing, math and how to engage with emerging opportunities.

The students are already making a difference in their community ... Stephen says they grew 5,000 pounds of food in his classroom alone during the pandemic, and a total of 100,000 pounds in schools across the country.

He says it all went to local communities struggling with food insecurity.

Stephen says his students are making their neighborhoods and themselves better. It starts in the garden -- but the plants help the kids grow, fueling them to make their schools and environments a better place for all.

A motorist in New Jersey lost control of their car and put a quick scare into the fast-food patrons at a Wendy's as the vehicle came smashing back to the ground ... just feet away from them.

According to South Brunswick PD ... the wild incident went down Monday when the car -- a Toyota Corolla -- launched over a berm, and surveillance cameras captured it flying through the air across the parking lot before clipping an Audi waiting in the drive-thru line.

A second camera shot shows the end result, as the vehicle then crashes into the Wendy's and hits an outdoor table right next to a table where a family was eating.

Thankfully, cops say there were no serious injuries. That's pretty hard to believe when you see the damage, which forced the Wendy's to close up shop for now.

According to reports ... the driver may have suffered a medical issue that caused the freak accident, and a child in the Audi was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West had a lunch date ... the first time we've seen the pair without their kids in a looong time, and another sign they continue to have a very amicable relationship.

The ex-couple grabbed food together Thursday in Malibu with security in tow, and though it appeared they were trying to keep their hang on the DL ... the fact they're hanging at all suggests things are good between them despite being in the middle of a divorce.

As we've told you ... Kim and their kids have been very supporting of Ye as he's been dragging out the release of his upcoming 10th studio album, "Donda," by attending both of his listening events in Atlanta.

On top of that, Kim recently credited her estranged husband with helping her become the woman she is today by teaching her to be more true to herself and not care what everyone thinks.

We broke the story ... Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February following a tumultuous year in which he suffered from bipolar episodes and had a controversial presidential run.

Devin Booker's offseason of love is still going strong ... 'cause after a romantic lake trip with Kendall Jenner, he sipped booze with the model at a lunch in NY -- and, yeah, the NBA star sure looks smitten.

The attractive couple hit up a party for Jenner's 818 Tequila brand at Sunset Beach Hotel on Shelter Island on Wednesday ... with Booker playing the role of proud BF as he watched Jenner celebrate the success of her alcohol.

Booker was seen smiling, laughing and schmoozing with Jenner's friends ... and we're told Kendall couldn't have been happier to have her tequila with her man by her side.

Of course, Booker and KJ have been inseparable since his triumphant return from the Tokyo Olympics ... they were just spotted enjoying other's company on a lake earlier this week.

In fact, Jenner proudly displayed her BF's new gold medal while rockin' a tiny bikini on their boat.

The two have been dating for over a year now ... and sure have been hot and heavy through the last few months -- with Jenner even hitting the road to see most of his playoff games.

Begs the question ... even though Booker didn't get an NBA championship bling this year -- is a wedding ring in the cards??

Jennifer Lopez is at the center of a pretty cheesy war between her current BF and her ex-fiance Alex Rodriguez, who got trolled with a symbolic chicken pizza order ... TMZ has learned.

So, here's the deal ... a certain someone named Ben hit up the Florida-based online pizza joint Bulls Bears & Squares, and plunked down $141.32 to send some pies to A-Rod back on June 17.

It's unclear exactly how many pizzas were ordered, but the joint's owner, Samuel Tadros, confirms the only topping requested was chicken. He says their Chicago stuffed jalapeño ranch chicken deep dish pizza is one of the most popular, and they don't come cheap -- $140 will get ya about 3 pies when you add shipping costs!!!

Anyway, back to the trolling culprit -- Bulls Bears & Squares tells us the Ben who ordered gave his name as "Ben Afflec." We're not thinking J Lo's Ben Affleck was actually responsible ... why would he use his real name, minus one letter?

But, it's clear some prankster got a kick out of sending the pizzas to A-Rod's 9,200-sq.-ft. summer pad in the Hamptons -- and possibly making him think Ben and J Lo were messing with him.

BTW, the troll knew the correct home address for Alex's rented mansion ... so, they did their homework.

One thing they screwed up was ... no note with the pizza delivery! So, it's hard to say exactly what the troll was insinuating with the topping. Calling A-Rod a chicken, perhaps, but about what??? 🤷🏽‍♂️

Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra are almost 3 years into their marriage and the honeymoon phase looks to be in full effect still ... 'cause they can't seem to keep their hands off each other.

The singer and actress were all over each other Thursday during a group lunch date at Beach Blanket Babylon Restaurant in London's Notting Hill. Fellow diners at their table included Priyanka's mom, Madhu ... who sat right next to her daughter.

That close proximity didn't stop Priyanka from hugging and kissing her hubby. They were still holding hands while walking down the street after leaving the joint.

Nick and Priyanka will celebrate their third wedding anniversary in December. Remember that extravagant shindig? It sure was a wedding for the ages. They were nearly inseparable since they started dating in fall 2016 ... and they've kept it going strong ever since.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are getting the keys to a beloved Colorado restaurant featured in "South Park" ... the real Casa Bonita is theirs, and the deal happened fast.

The "South Park" creators announced Friday they struck a deal to become the new owners of the Mexican restaurant made famous by their show, breaking the news in an interview with Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.

Bob Wheaton, the president of Casa Bonita's parent company, Summit Family Restaurant Inc., tells TMZ ... the deal was put together VERY quickly, with talks heating up Wednesday during a conference call with reps for Trey and Matt.

We're told Trey and Matt's team laid out a detailed plan for how they wanted to evolve the business, including pouring resources in to expand the food offerings, gift shop and arcade at Casa Bonita.

As we first told you ... Casa Bonita's corporate ownership was not interested in selling as recently as 2 weeks ago, despite filing for bankruptcy ... but Wheaton tells us Trey and Matt ultimately got Casa Bonita for 2 main reasons.

First, we're told Trey and Matt offered a "fair" price for Casa Bonita ... the exact price was not disclosed, but we're told the amount was one Summit would have sought in the future.

Second, we're told Trey and Matt also struck a deal with the restaurant's landlord, something corporate had been unable to do since March and an issue that lead to the bankruptcy filing.

Ultimately, we're told Casa Bonita is in good hands with its new owners ... and it sounds like everyone's happy.

Conor McGregor's tour of the biggest spots in L.A. continues ... this time, the injured UFC star crutched his way to Delilah in WeHo shortly after midnight on Friday -- and TMZ Sports has the video.

33-year-old McGregor has been on a tear as of late ... and despite needing crutches to get around, the former champ is definitely having no trouble finding his way to a good time.

As we previously reported, Notorious recently hit up Craig's restaurant last week ... drawing a massive crowd and signing autographs for his fans.

Before that, Conor has been spending time poolside with Justin Bieber ... and even hit up the "Peaches" singer's concert at SoFi Stadium.

But, it hasn't been all play and no work -- McGregor's somehow been going HAM in the gym ... working out as much as he can while letting his leg recover.

The injury hasn't prevented Conor from getting into huge beefs in the UFC, however -- McGregor's been going OFF on Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz recently ... proving his Twitter fingers are still 100% healthy.

Conor snapped his leg against Dustin Poirier on July 10 ... but told us last week he's anticipating a full recovery.

"SpongeBob SquarePants" honchos have a major problemo with a restaurant that sounds a lot like the spot where SpongeBob works ... and they're ready to fight in court about it.

Viacom's suing the company that recently opened The Rusty Krab restaurant in downtown Houston, claiming it's a blatant rip-off of the The Krusty Krab featured in the cartoon ... according to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ.

Rusty Krab's accused of infringing on Viacom's 'SpongeBob' trademarks by using names, images, characters and re-creations from the show throughout its restaurant and on its menu, and according to the suit ... even advertises the place as "Houston’s VERY FIRST Spongebob Squarepants Inspired Pop Up Restaurant and Bar!"

Viacom claims all of Rusty Krab's marketing is geared toward kids and SpongeBob fans to deceive the public into thinking it's officially affiliated with the show ... only to leave parents who paid high ticket prices disappointed with the inauthentic experience and "purportedly unsanitary conditions and unsafe food."

Among the many alleged infringements, Viacom says Rusty Krab's drink menu uses numerous well-known hallmarks of 'SBSP' -- like "Pineapple Under the Sea," "Bikini Bottom," "Secret Formula" and "I’m Ready" -- to sell alcohol, which Viacom claims would violate its licensing policy for the trademarks on its kid’s show.

Viacom's wants the restaurant to hand over any profits it’s made, so far, and is also suing to block it from doing further business.

You can't love dessert as much as Britney Spears does -- at least not based on the sounds she was putting down when her BF was tempted ... by an ice cream sundae.

So, outwardly this is a video of chiseled Sam Asghari fighting off his desire to suck down some ice cream -- but Brit steals the show with her reaction to the delicious treat. You know the ol' saying -- you scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream.

Well, Britney's blown that outta the water. Instead of screaming, she's just moaning in a way that's orgasmically reminiscent of Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally."

The most frustrating part -- it's not clear if Sam actually ate the sundae or let it go to waste because he suggests it doesn't fit into his diet and fitness plan. In other words: Where's the climax???

Later in his IG Story, Sam also whipped up some sort of cake dessert for "someone else that can eat this at the moment" ... and again, all signs point to his GF.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez hit up a restaurant known for its star-studded guests ... and ya gotta wonder if there was something to celebrate.

Bennifer 2.0 held hands as they headed into Craig's in WeHo Wednesday night for a dinner date, but unlike their Beverly Hills outing last weekend ... this was a more family affair.

J Lo's 13-year-old daughter, Emme, tagged along for the occasion, which is interesting because as we reported ... signs are pointing to Ben and Jen looking to buy a massive home together.

On Tuesday, the couple was out house hunting all over the L.A. area ... and one of the places they checked out is a jaw-dropping $85 million Beverly Hills estate with a 38,000-sq-ft main house with 12 bedrooms and 24 bathrooms.

So yeah, plenty of room for them and all their kids.

Of course, they've been doing a lot of house hunting lately -- together and solo -- along with an increasing amount of public appearances ... so it's hard to tell if this was a special date at Craig's or just par for the course.

Peloton, the fitness co., is trying to bigfoot another company with the same name -- but in a much different biz -- at least according to a new lawsuit.

Peloton Cold Brew, LLC filed suit against Peloton, Interactive -- the indoor exercise bike maker -- and says it got its trademark to use the P word for coffee drinks back in 2017, but Peloton didn’t get around to officially opposing it until 3 years later.

In docs, obtained by TMZ, Peloton Cold Brew claims the bike maker didn't make a peep, failing to file any objection when PCB filed for its trademark.

PCB claims the bike company finally filed a complaint in October 2020 -- but the coffee crew says their founders are avid cyclists, and they have every right to use "Peloton" for beverages made of coffee ... which has nothing to do with the exercise bike biz.

According to the docs, PCB says Peloton the bike maker's trademarks -- which cover things like "computers and downloadable software" -- don't come close to coffee.

Peloton Cold Brew's asking the court to declare it has the right to the trademark in the coffee space, even if Peloton the bike company has rights in the bike space.

Klay Thompson's sweet tooth was working overtime late Wednesday night ... 'cause the Golden State Warriors star couldn't pass up on buying a bunch of candy from kids outside an L.A. hot spot!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 3-time NBA champ as he was leaving the Highlight Room in Hollywood ... and while the guy seemed to be in great spirits, he was even happier when he saw a basket full of sugary sweets waiting for him.

Naturally, Klay whipped out his wallet and started passing out bills to the young businessmen ... sifting through bags of chocolates and gummies before settling on some Kit Kat bars and Snickers.

No word on the value of the bills Klay gave the kids ... but we're pretty sure the guy overpaid for the treats.

FYI -- Klay has made $182 million in his career so far and is in the middle of a 5-year, $190 million deal ... so yeah, some candy bars are def in the budget.

There's more for Dubs fans to enjoy -- Klay looks completely fine as he walks up to his SUV ... which is great to see as he comes off that devastating Achilles injury.

NY Jets receiver Denzel Mims says he had a MISERABLE offseason ... spending a large portion of it vomiting and losing weight amid a violent battle with food poisoning.

The 23-year-old -- a second-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft -- explained the struggle to reporters on Wednesday ... saying he believes it all started after he ate some bad salmon.

Mims says once the tainted fish got into his system ... it wreaked havoc on his body -- with the wideout claiming he threw up for two straight weeks.

Mims says things got so bad ... he needed antibiotics -- and ultimately saw his weight drop from 217 pounds to 197 in a matter of days.

"It took a big toll on me," said Mims, who added he plans on never eating salmon again.

But, Mims did say his body is finally starting to come back around ... telling media members he's put back on 11 pounds, and is getting closer and closer to full strength.

"I feel like I'm catching up," Mims said, "and I'm almost there."

Kylie Jenner really knows how to throw a birthday party ... and have it last the entire day.

The beauty mogul just turned 24, so she hosted an at-home celebration at her Hollywood mansion with her family and close friends that kicked off with a breathtaking breakfast buffet featuring all of the favorites ... and then some.

From there, her guests -- who included Kim, Khloe, Kendall, and Kris along with her friends Anastasia Karanikolaou, Victoria Villarroel and more -- took a painting class with artist Timree Gold ... to really liven up the place and accentuate all the bouquets of flowers Kylie received.

Of course, this wasn't just a daytime shindig ... so the festivities continued with a fancy candlelit dinner with cocktails and sushi galore. It's good to be 24.

There were several fellas at Kylie's bday party too -- her brother Rob, Travis Barker, Carter Gregory and reportedly Travis Scott showed up as well.

A fun time was had by all. Happy belated, Kylie!

Ben Roethlisberger will do anything for health -- that is, except try Tom Brady's infamous avocado ice cream ... saying there's NO WAY he's including that atrocity in his diet!!

The 39-year-old Pittsburgh Steelers QB has looked much slimmer leading into the new season ... with folks left wondering what the did to get in better shape.

Big Ben -- who's always been listed at 240 lbs. -- is finally speaking out on his trimmed look ... but as it turns out, he's denying he's doing anything differently from years past.

"So much was made a week or 2 [ago]," Roethlisberger told the Washington Post. "I mean, listen, as you get older ... for the last 4 or 5 years, I’ve really focused on having a trainer, my body."

"Part of it’s football. But part of it’s life. I’m not getting any younger. I’m almost 40 years old. So you’ve got to take care of yourself."

But, Ben makes it clear he's not taking any tips from his 7-time Super Bowl champion rival ... saying there are some levels he simply will not stoop to in order to stay in shape.

"And nothing against Tom [Brady], but I’m not eating avocado ice cream," Roethlisberger added. "Yeah, you have a chef and you try and eat healthy. But you’re eating healthy because you want to be and feel good."

Remember, TB12 has sworn up and down in the past that the dessert is tasty ... and even included the recipe -- consisting of avocado, cashews, coconut, dates, cacao powder and water -- in his "The TB12 Method" book.

But we spoke with Brady's bestie, Julian Edelman, in the past ... who confirmed to us it's really as bad as it sounds.