Famous Food

7/16 -- 2:08 PM PT -- TMZ's learned the whole shootout video ended up being nothing but a fake ... with sources in direct contact with the guy telling us no live rounds were fired, and law enforcement confirming there were no reports of a shooting or attempted robbery.

Rapper Troy Ave is his brother's keeper ... and he proved it, big time, by opening fire on a gunman who ran up on his pal, celeb chef Geoff Cole.

The shootout went down in the San Diego area -- home security footage shows Geoff pull up at home in his Bentley, Troy gets out on the passenger side ... and as both men are walking toward the garage, a would-be robber sneaks down the alley and charges at Geoff.

The Brooklyn MC immediately reacted, reaching for his own handgun as the gunman fumbled an apparent weapon -- and Troy seized the opportunity to start shooting and chasing the guy back into the alley.

Cardi B went above and beyond to give her eldest child, Kulture, a deliciously magical birthday experience at Disney World and a party cake that exploded all 5 senses!!!

Chef and celebrity cake designer Kristina Lavallee, founder of The Cake Girl, tells TMZ Hip Hop that Cardi sought her company out personally based on a referral from another celebrity.

Team Cake Girl turned the order around in 24 hours last Friday in Orlando, Florida -- just in the nick of time for all those kiddie sweet teeth!!!

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Cooking can be hard … and Amazon Prime Day is about to make it a whole lot easier ... and cheaper!

Everyone knows the best meals begin with a well equipped kitchen ... and right now, it's more affordable than ever to treat yourself to a little bit of an upgrade.

Get rid of that broken blender and those dull knives ... because Amazon's got discounts on everything you need to create a five star kitchen. From Chrissy Teigen's top picks from her own Cravings brand, to that pizza oven you may or may not need, cooking is about to get a whole lot more fun.

Cook just like Chrissy with her stylish Chrissy Teigen Cravings Perfect Pan Dutch Oven. This pan can do it all … whether you're whipping up a beef chili or want to pop it in the oven while making a loaf of bread.

Still feeling the patriotic vibes after the 4th? Keep the red, white, and brain freeze going -- it’s National Slurpee Day, and the stars are sipping in the spirit!

Catch the pics -- Queen Bey herself is chugging that frozen glory straight from 7-Eleven, which BTW is turning a cool 98 this year.

Austin Mahone’s also riding the wave -- cooling off with the iconic sip of summer like a true pro.

Popeyes recently launched its new Chicken Wraps as a special menu item -- only to watch McDonald's resume selling its beloved Snack Wraps -- and the Louisiana chain is calling it a fowl move on Mickey D's part!!!

To retaliate, Popeyes dropped a full-on onslaught A.I. diss track -- complete with a digital music video that has Ronald McDonald resembling a wimpy clown struggling to get a groove with the Golden Arch's recipes.

The chorus has a catchy bop, "Food be tasting funny when the clown be in the kitchen" -- will there be a lawsuit if the diss track actually catches on???

Both brands have established several celebrity spokespeople and dedicated customers ... but only one can be King Chicken.

Lizzo's hungry for more weenies even after the Fourth of July ... telling her fans her new ensemble makes her want another hot dog -- and, we don't think she means one ya put mustard on ordinarily.

The singer-songwriter shared a short clip to promote her Yitty swimwear line on Saturday ... and, she says her new swimsuit's makin' her HUNGRY.

Watch the vid ... Lizzo says she's hungry for a hot dog in the red one-piece -- with a tone that suggests food isn't the only thing on her mind.

It's that time of the year, when a select few extraordinary men and women take part in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest -- and we wanna know if you can figure out the identity of this competitive eating champion!

This dude's made a name for himself by scarfing down dozens of franks in Coney Island, NY nearly every Independence Day while taking on competitors like Takeru Kobayashi and Matt Stonie, and he's set plenty of records in the process!

Although he sat out in 2024, this glizzy gladiator's still hungry for success -- and he's dominated plenty of other eating contests around the country!

July 4th weekend ain't over yet, y'all! Grab your grill flippers and see these famous smoke-shows grilling up nothin' but pure greatness!

There may be a slight height difference between footballers Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, but teamwork makes the dreamwork and that meat looks d*** good 🍔!

You already know Singer Kelis' "milkshakes bring all the boys to the yard," however nothin' tops whatever she throws onto her big green egg. And, actress Brie Larson was a total sauce boss -- giving her followers a sneak preview of what's under her hood!

Joey Chestnut was back with a vengeance at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest … winning the annual Fourth of July tradition with ease and earning the Mustard Belt after eating a whopping 70.5 tube steaks!!

Chestnut received a hero’s welcome as he was introduced to the stage on Coney Island after a year away … and once the 10-minute timer started, he locked in and got to work at record-setting pace.

There certainly wasn’t any wiener rust for Jaws … as his counterparts didn’t come close to posing a threat. Chestnut eventually slowed down, but managed to surpass the 70-dog mark in the final seconds.

Degenerates hoping to make a quick buck on the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest are in luck ... TMZ Sports has learned there's a (b)unbelievable amount of prop bets on the board for Friday!!

The guys over at BetOnline.ag tell us ... there are double-digit topics gamblers can place wagers on -- including whether or not a contestant will vomit.

"Yes" odds for the throw-up were set at 6/1, meaning if an upchuck happens, fans can get $6 for every $1 they bet. Meanwhile, those in favor of "no" will be getting 1/12 odds.

Eric "Badlands" Booker has chugged just about everything under the sun ... but there's still one liquid he REALLY wants to down at an insane rate -- telling TMZ Sports it's a drink you can't find just anywhere!!

We caught up with Booker as he prepares to defend his title at the Nathan's Famous Lemonade Chugging Contest this July 4 ... and he revealed a non-alcoholic apéritif called Beverly -- a Coca-Cola product -- is atop his wish list.

"I think it's from Italy or somewhere in Europe," he said. "There's only one place that I know has it, at the Coca-Cola factory down in Atlanta. So one day, I'm gonna bring my boot and just put it under the fountain and just try to chug two liters of Beverly."

Patrick Bertoletti is looking to build off the 58 hot dogs and buns he downed en route to winning his first-ever Mustard Belt at the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest last year ... with the champ telling TMZ Sports he hopes to eclipse 60 tube steaks this July 4!!

We spoke with Bertoletti ahead of his title defense at Coney Island ... and while he does feel anxious -- he says it's giving him energy and more drive to get the job done.

Bertoletti's main goal is improving his number from last year, saying entering the 60 range "would be great."

PETA clearly believes the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is the wurst ... as it tells TMZ Sports it's planning to crash the annual shindig this week in an effort to sway people from partaking in the glizzy engorgement.

A spokesperson for the animal rights org. says PETA mascots -- including Tommy Tofu and "his PETA pals" -- will be outside of the event at Nathan's Famous in Brooklyn on Friday afternoon in the hopes of deterring fans from eating tube steaks.

We're told they'll be handing out vegan hot dogs ... challenging "hungry spectators to enjoy a free, flavorful Fourth that is also animal-friendly."

Pineapple days and sunny rays are comin' in hot for International Pineapple Day! The stars are slicing into summer with the perfect summer craze -- proudly posing with pineapples (but of course, while showin' off their famous looks 😉!)

Standing tall, celebs like Australian model Emily Sears cuddled up with her juicy assets on display, TikTok hottie Noah Beck found the simple joy in his pineapple on vacay, and 'Real Housewives of New Jersey's Jennifer Aydin and Teresa Giudice showed off their sweet sides while snapping a pineapple pic!

Bianca Censori transformed the streets of Brooklyn into a sugary spectacle this weekend, rocking literal candy lingerie.

Kanye West's partner caused a full-blown sidewalk spectacle in NYC on Saturday when she stepped out wearing an edible candy bra and matching bottoms while tagging along with Ye for a studio visit.

The barely-there candy getup left little to the imagination as she strutted confidently beside Kanye, who wore an oversized hoodie and long pants despite the blazing summer heat.

TMZ Sports has learned the dishes Ippei Mizuhara will be chowing down on during his stint in prison ... and, sadly for Shohei Ohtani's ex-interpreter, peanuts and Cracker Jacks ain't on the menu.

According to a Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesperson ... FCI Allenwood Low -- the Pennsylvania prison where Mizuhara has been in custody since Monday -- follows the National Menu, which means Mizuhara will have a choice of a set of rotating meals to munch on for the foreseeable future.

Every day, Mizuhara will get breakfast, lunch and dinner ... giving the 40-year-old access to most of America's food staples.