Famous Food

It's gotta be feeling like more than a dream now for Nathan Apodaca -- the viral Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" skateboarder -- because the reality is ... he's riding a major hot streak.

After his video blew up last week ... the cranberry-juice-sipping, good-vibes viral star received a brand new and fully stocked truck from Ocean Spray, an homage from Mick Fleetwood, tons of donations, and now ... his merchandise biz is booming.

A rep for Nathan tells TMZ ... his personally designed line of Doggface clothing has already hauled in more than $30,000 in profit over 5 days since its launch with UpMerch.com.

The Doggface gear includes hoodies and t-shirts with the instantly classic shot of him chugging his juice ... along with a beanie. BTW -- Doggface is Nathan's longtime nickname, but more importantly ... his TikTok handle.

We're told Nathan teamed with UpMerch because he was trying to put out all his swag himself but fell way behind ... and the company had the resources to handle the majorly increased demand.

Nathan's doing work for UpMerch too -- our sources say the site's recorded a 96 percent increase in new customers since the Doggface products dropped.

Nathan Apodaca -- AKA the Fleetwood Mac "Dreams" skateboarder -- has a couple of huge reasons to smile today, as well as an explanation for why he chugs huge bottles of cranberry juice.

Nathan was on "TMZ Live" Wednesday talking about how his life's changed dramatically since uploading that now-viral skateboarding clip to TikTok. He calls it a blessing, because it led to him getting that brand new truck, delivered Tuesday by Ocean Spray.

As we told you ... Nathan said the donations that poured in shortly after would be used possibly for a new ride, but then he got Ocean Spray's gift. By the way, he told us how his first drive went in the truck went -- it's gonna make ya smile.

Nathan says his family had been talking about saving money for his daughter's upcoming 16th bday party and getting a new place. Now, they're plans are changing ... for the better.

As for why Nathan sips on that large 64 oz. jug of his fave beverage while skateboarding -- it's pretty simple. It's all about time, size and value. Doggface (his TikTok handle) broke it down for us, and reacted to rumors Travis Scott even wants to collaborate with him now.

Michael Jordan's done it. Same with Walter Payton and Mary Lou Retton.

And now, LeBron James is finally getting the honor of being on the Wheaties box!!

It's kinda crazy LeBron hasn't been on the box before considering he's been an NBA superstar since 2003, but better late than never!

General Mills announced the Lakers superstar will take over as the box cover athlete, relieving Serena Williams of her cereal duties.

The company says it picked LeBron to celebrate his "efforts both on and off the court" -- most notably, his accomplishments with the I Promise program for underprivileged kids in Akron, Ohio.

In fact, LeBron will share the Wheaties box with images of kids, families and faculty from the I Promise program and the I Promise public school.

FYI, Wheaties has been putting top athletes on the cereal box for 85 years -- the very first athlete to grace the cover was Lou Gehrig back in 1934!

Talk about positive vibes -- the guy who went viral skateboarding to a Fleetwood Mac classic just got upgraded wheels ... meaning a brand new truck, courtesy of his fave beverage.

A rep for Ocean Spray rolled up to Nathan Apodaca's RV Tuesday in Idaho ... and the dude who just loves sipping cranberry juice while vibing to "Dreams" was hella surprised by the generosity.

Check out the video ... Nathan hopped out of his RV to meet the juice guy, who told him the truck and all the juice in its flatbed were all his! The Ocean Spray rep thanked Nathan -- as we all do -- for keeping the positive feels going.

A pretty awesome ending after Nathan's original video sparked the so-called "Dreams" challenge on TikTok, which racked up millions of views.

Soon after, Nathan, who was saving money to upgrade his ride, got tons of donations from strangers all over the country ... more than $10k he said might use for a new RV.

The "Dreams" challenge ultimately reached the rock band's co-founder and drummer, Mick Fleetwood, who on Sunday shared his own TikTok and said Nathan "had it right. Dreams and Cranberry just hits different."

How does Joey Chestnut celebrate National Taco Day??

By crushing a MASSIVE, 12-pound walking taco in 38 minutes!!!

(IMPORTANT STORY NOTE --  a "walking taco" is essentially a bunch of taco ingredients stuffed inside of a chip bag. Good stuff)

The food G.O.A.T. would have been competing in the annual Pacific Park World Taco Eating Championship on Sunday if it weren't for COVID-19 ... but NOTHING can stop this dude from eating insane amounts of tacos on the food holiday.

So, Jaws took matters into his own hands and made a humongous walking taco in the comfort of his own kitchen ... and the list of ingredients is wild.

-- 2 pounds of chips
-- 3 pounds of ground beef
-- 2+ pounds of cheese
-- 1+ pound of salsa
-- 6+ avocados
-- onions and sour cream
-- Joey's signature green hatch and jalapeno sauce

Now, no meal is too big for Chestnut ... and the guy was even ENJOYING eating the giant concoction while only needing 38 minutes and some change to finish it.

FYI -- Joey guzzled 82 street-style carnitas tacos in 8 minutes to win last year's eating competition in Santa Monica ... but at least he was able to take his time this year.

As for how the dude celebrated the feat??

"... a beer, belly rub and nap."

Imagine being at a restaurant ... and in walks Mike Tyson, Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Richard Dent and Don King.

That's exactly what happened to a couple back in 1988, who commemorated the moment by getting all the legends to sign their menu ... and now it's up for auction!!!

Hindman Auctions tells TMZ Sports ... the power squad showed up at Lino’s Ristorante in Chicago to celebrate Dent's 28th birthday.

As it turns out, the night was pretty well documented in Tyson's ex-trainer Rory Holloway's memoir, who claims Tyson was LIVID with MJ at dinner over suspicions the Bulls legend had a fling with his then-separated wife Robin Givens.

The book claims Tyson was on the verge of fighting MJ ... but apparently cooler heads prevailed when it came to the restaurant manager asking the superstars to sign the menu for the couple in attendance.

Now, the couple is looking to part ways with the unique piece of history -- it's hitting the auction block via Hindman Auctions on Oct. 20 ... and we're told this thing could sell for thousands, if not 5 figures!!!

Nathan Apodaca, the guy who went viral after posting video of him drinking juice and vibing to Fleetwood Mac on his skateboard, is feeling blessed ... he says the donations pouring in are gonna help him upgrade his busted car and RV.

We tracked down Nathan in Idaho Falls, the site of his now-famous video, and he told us generous folks have sent him $10,000 ... and he really needs it.

Nathan says he's living in an RV with no running water, so he's parked in front of his brother's house, where he uses the shower and toilet. He says the donations via Venmo, Cash App and Paypal will help him get what he needs -- his own space to cook, clean, shower and 💩.

Nathan's also looking to upgrade his car, which funny enough, is the reason he went viral in the first place. Ya gotta hear him tell us what led up to his viral moment, it's quite the chain of events before his shift at a potato factory.

It's easy to see why people are rallying around Nathan ... and he says he's gonna surprise his mother with $5,000. If that wasn't generous enough, he says he already gave his lady-friend a new washer/dryer and bought some clothes for his daughter.

"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is sparing no details of his horrific bowling accident, but says the gruesome injury's left him more grateful than ever ... for his family and the doctors who saved him.

Jersey's other Boss joined "TMZ Live" Tuesday to give his account of the freak bowling accident, telling us he's got a long road to recovery ahead due to severe tendon, nerve and muscle damage to his right hand.

Word of warning ... if you're enjoying a piece of cake -- or any food -- right now, finish up before watching Buddy's description of the pinsetter machine impaling his hand.

As we reported ... Buddy was bowling with his fam on their at-home alley and tried to fix the malfunctioning pinsetter. Buddy said the "blunt force" he felt as a metal rod repeatedly rammed through his hand was by far the worst pain he's ever felt.

He also revealed it wasn't just his hand that was severely injured 😬 ... and gushed about the amazing job his family did to free him from the evil machine to get him to a hospital.

As for the road to recovery ... the "Cake Boss" told us it's gonna be a long one -- but he said it's giving him a newfound appreciation for the medical pros doing miraculous work to fix his hand.

Sounds like renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michelle Carlson can expect a Christmas card, and probably a cake too!

Dr. Dre is firing back at the request of his estranged wife's demand for nearly $2 mil a month in temporary spousal support, claiming he's already footing the bill for her every need and, according to the legal docs, her lawyers have already made more money off the 2-month old divorce than most Los Angelenos make in a year.

Dre says he's letting Nicole stay in HIS Malibu mansion, which he claims is worth $20 mil to $25 mil. It's interesting he describes the home as his and his alone. As we reported, the biggest bone of contention is the prenup, which could explain why he says the mansion is his.

Dre says his security brings Nicole meals prepared by his private chef 3 to 5 times a week.

Dre also says all of Nicole's expenses are already covered by him, noting their business manager pays her AmEx Centurion Black Card, and those bills range from $150,000 a month to $350,000 per month.

Dre. says aside from what he calls "unauthorized charges for [Nicole's] attorney's fees," all of her expenses have been paid. As we reported, her lawyers are seeking $5 mil in fees.

Dre. says, "This all seems like the wrath of an angry person being exacerbated by opportunistic lawyers."

Dre also grouses that he has offered to pay her lawyers an additional $350,000 through the end of the year, but then learned she took nearly $400,000 out of his record company's business account. He says, nevertheless, he's willing to pay her fees.

Joe Montana is a badass ... first grabbing the alleged kidnapper who snatched his grandchild right inside his home, then grabbing some grub at a fancy restaurant.

Joe hit up Nobu in Malibu Saturday night, just hours after he and his wife, Jennifer, had an enormous scare. TMZ Sports broke the story ... and a 39-year-old woman got inside the Malibu home where Joe and Jennifer were staying, spotted their 9-month-old grandchild and scooped the infant up. She went to another part of the house, where Joe and Jennifer confronted her and got the baby back.

Someone inside the home flagged down cops, who happened to be on the same block, and the woman was caught and arrested for burglary and kidnapping.

Salt Bae is endangering his customers when it comes to COVID-19 -- at least according to Boston authorities, who just shut down his restaurant there.

City officials ordered Nusret Gokce's signature steakhouse shut its doors this weekend after finding the joint was allowing patrons to pack in without social distancing, and not wear masks.

The proof is partly up on the restaurant's own Instagram ... there's at least one clip of people flocking back to the establishment -- which had re-opened about a week ago. Massachusetts had recently announced it would start letting more people dine-in and even stand at the bar for foodservice in groups of 10.

So, what's the smoking gun of alleged wrongdoing that the city's got on Salt Bae and co.? Welp, it might be the video's that got him trending right now ... which looks a little wild.

A TikTok video shows a woman twerking inside what appears to be the lobby of Nusr-Et -- with none other than SB himself recording from afar. On its own, it's a pretty funny clip ... unless you're Boston public health officials.

An Uber delivery man was riding his bike in Portland Saturday night when he was swarmed by cops and taken to the ground.

The man was riding along and passed a patrol van when 2 cops got off the vehicle and took him down with considerable force.

The guy pleaded with cops -- he was a delivery guy just passing through -- but his words fell on deaf ears. The cops pinned the guy on the ground and tied his hands behind his back.

A woman nearby implored the cops ... the guy was not an agitator.

It's unclear if the guy was arrested.

Lasagna, the fat cat that was abandoned last weekend, has a new home, and Stouffer's has some delicious gifts for the new owners!!!

The 29 pound -- that's right -- was dumped at a Philadelphia animal shelter in a dog crate. The shelter posted the humongous feline's pic, hoping someone would find it in their heart to adopt Lasagna. They posted they're looking for "someone who can help her lose the #quarantine15 and become a healthy and happy cat."

Stoffer's sweetened the pot, saying, "We hope she finds a home!" ... adding, "To the family who adopts Lasagna: we will send you a bunch of lasagna!"

The post did the trick. Thousands of folks liked the photo and it only took a day but Lasagna now has a place to call home with the Hammer family in New Jersey. Suggestion ... if Stoffer's comes through, don't feed the cat.

"Cake Boss" Buddy Valastro is recovering following a horrific bowling accident where his right hand was impaled ... and required multiple surgeries.

The famous baker suffered the gruesome injury Sunday while spending some QT with his family in the bowling alley in their home. A rep tells us there was a malfunction with the bowling pinsetter -- a problem the family's had in the past and usually a common fix, but not this time around.

We're told Buddy tried to release a bowling pin from the cage mechanism, but his right hand got lodged and compressed inside the unit. His rep described what happened next this way -- "Unable to remove his hand, [Buddy] can see a 1 1/2" metal rod slowly and repeatedly impale his hand three times between his ring finger and middle finger."

After more than 5 minutes, Buddy still couldn't get his hand free from the metal rod jammed through it. His rep says his sons, Buddy Jr. and Marco, "rushed to the garage for a reciprocating saw to cut through the metal rod" and finally got Buddy's hand free.

Buddy was rushed to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to remove the rod and stabilize the wound. A second surgery followed ... performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Michelle Carlson in Manhattan.

The rep says Buddy will have an uphill battle given it's his dominant right hand. He faces a long road to recovery and therapy. Buddy's not exactly ready to call this a pinhead move ... but he's definitely kept his sense of humor through this painful ordeal.

He posted a pic Wednesday from his hospital bed with the caption, "I was involved in a terrible accident a few days ago... 😔 What do you think of my new accessory?"

Sending positive vibes, boss!!!

Uncle Ben of Uncle Ben's rice is no more -- the parent company of the food brand ditched its logo, rooted in racism, and even whittled down the name as well to something much more kosher.

Mars Inc. revealed the changes Wednesday after getting called out for its logo back in June -- like several other brands like Aunt Jemima syrup. So, ya ready for it??? Uncle Ben's is now ... Ben's Original. That's it, nice and simple.

The company also did away with the photo of an older African-American man in a bow tie as their logo -- which some felt conjured up the idea of Black servitude. Now, it's just the lettering that remains -- same font and color scheme, really. Just no image attached.

The global president of Mars Inc., Fiona Dawson, said it was the right thing to do -- even though it might not be the easiest, and knowing they weren't going to please everyone. Big picture ... she says they listened to their customers and associates and felt it was time.

A lot of food brands committed to retiring their dated logos -- including Jemima and even Cream of Wheat, which features another Black man in a chef hat ... same issue as with Ben here.

TikTok stars could be the next cash cow for fast-food chains ... Charli D'Amelio is doing for Dunkin' what Travis Scott is doing for McDonald's.

Charli, TikTok’s most-followed star, has a new partnership with Dunkin' and we've learned it's already doing wonders for the company's bottom line ... much like the Travis Scott meal at Mickey D's.

Dunkin' started selling "The Charli" -- a cold brew with whole milk and three pumps of caramel swirl -- Sept. 2 and immediately saw a huge boost in sales and interest ... Drayton Martin, vice president of brand stewardship at Dunkin', tells TMZ.

We're told Dunkin set a record for daily users on its app the day "The Charli" launched, thanks to a 57% increase in app downloads, and within 5 days the coffee giant sold hundreds of thousands of Charli's signature drink. That's a lotta caffeinated kids on their phones.

Sounds like Charli made cold brews even cooler ... Dunkin' says they saw a 20% sales boost for all cold brews the day her drink debuted, and a 45% surge the next day.

Dunkin's chalking it up to the excitement the drink stirred up among Charli's massive social media following -- 88.3 million followers and over 6.7 billion likes on her TikTok videos. Call it the TikTok effect.

The numbers are in ... and it looks like companies are figuring out how to use celeb's massive followings as advertising tools.