Famous Food

Houston Rockets fans are still so bitter at being knocked out of the playoffs by the Warriors, they've gone to Yelp to take out their frustrations on Ayesha Curry's new Houston restaurant.

Steph Curry's wife is opening International Smoke in Houston in July -- and a bunch of haters have already bombarded the page with anti-Warriors trash talk, as first pointed out by NBA reporter Tomer Azarly.

Some of the highlights ...

-- "Steph is overrated. Klay sucks"

-- "This is absolutely the worst place to go - her husband cheated his way to a championship and now she has the guts to open up a place here??"

-- "Waited 35 mins for water and it tasted like Seth curry tears ! Will never be back ! Can't support this place .. Harden MVP"

-- "Any real rockets fans will NEVER step foot into this place. Disgusting."

-- "Can't believe I logged on here and took time out of my day just to give this 1 star. Go rockets."

As you can imagine, the comments have already been flagged by Yelp -- which is now reviewing the page to take out the fake critics.

Head to the strip club for the girls ... and stay for the shrimp -- at least, that's what boxing star Errol Spence Jr. is saying.

The IBF welterweight champ -- one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world -- has become a bit of a partying connoisseur ... and he told us the most underrated place for food on the planet is -- your local gentlemen's club!!

"Strip club food is the best," Spence Jr. told us in NYC.

"Shrimp, chicken -- you can get a salad. Sometimes you get a steak. I mean, they got a whole kitchen back there!"

By the way, Errol's a perfect 24-0 in his boxing career with some big-time wins ... but he told us fighting at Jerry's World in his hometown would be the highlight of his resume.

While the aura of Anthony Bourdain lives on, fans who drive down Wilshire in West L.A. will get an extra reminder of the celebrity chef ... thanks to an awesome new painting by a popular street muralist.

Jonas Never completed his Bourdain mural Friday in Santa Monica, on the side wall of a new restaurant and bar called Gramercy. He tells TMZ ... he was hired by the joint to paint its signage lettering, and asked if he could also do the mural as a tribute.

Never says he saw how the world was affected by Bourdain's suicide and the legacy he left behind, so he felt compelled to find a way to honor him. Gramercy's an L.A. joint that aims for a New York Lower East Side vibe ... so they agreed it was the perfect spot for his art.

We're told Jonas did the mural for free. His murals can be seen all over L.A. -- from Venice to Burbank -- and outside of Floyd's barbershop locations.

Chicago Bears star Tarik Cohen says despite his last name -- he's NOT a Jew, but says he's gotten so much love from his Hebrew fans that he's ready to finally try out a Jewish deli!

When Tarik blew up this past season ... the Jewish community went crazy trying to find out if the star running back with the traditionally Jewish last name was really a member of the tribe.

Turns out, Cohen is not a jew -- but he feels it's an honor to get so warmly embraced by his Semitic fans.

"I'm not Jewish necessarily, but I do feel accepted ... by the Jewish community."

And get this, Cohen says he's never even been to a Jewish deli before -- but REALLY wants to go, especially since our Jewish camera guy told him he'd probably get a discount.

T.I. will need to dive into his own pockets to pay the unpaid wages of his restaurant employees who lost their jobs when it closed its doors.

Tip just settled with 9 of 11 employees who went after him after his Scales 925 shut down in 2016. Each will get $8,333.33 in unpaid money ... totaling about $75,000. The rapper is also on the hook for another $25,000 in attorney's fees -- do the math and it's right around $100,000.

As for his part -- T.I. claimed he wasn't a bad restaurant owner -- he says he put a manager in charge who siphoned money to line his own pockets.

Vince Vaughn's taking things slow after his DUI arrest -- opting for a daytime power smoothie, and a good old-fashioned walk instead of a drive.

Vince was out and about Monday in Manhattan Beach, CA -- the same city where he got busted for drinking and driving Sunday. He was strolling around with a blended juice beverage in hand ... probably a good shot of energy after his rough weekend.

TMZ broke the story ... Vince was arrested for DUI, as well as obstructing an officer. Cops say he and his passenger, who was also arrested, refused to get out of Vince's car when they were initially pulled over at a DUI checkpoint.

Rose McGowan is defending her friend, and Anthony Bourdain's girlfriend, Asia Argento ... saying there is NO reason to play the blame game after his suicide.

Rose says she knows people who knew Anthony, or just loved him on TV, want to "lash out and blame" someone for his death, but says Asia is not the one to blame. Rose is reportedly in Italy comforting Asia and calls her a "brave survivor."

She

describing the chemistry between Asia and Anthony ... saying they both battled demons and, at times, both wanted to die. Rose and Asia bonded as alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein, and Rose says Asia "did the work to get help, so she could stay alive" for her children -- but "Anthony's depression didn't let him, he put down his armor, and that was very much his choice."

As we reported, photos surfaced last week of Asia hugging and holding hands with a French reporter -- at the same time Anthony was in France. Rose says people shouldn't read into that because, "Anthony and Asia had a free relationship, they loved without borders of traditional relationships."

And there's this ... Rose says Anthony sought help for his depression but, for some reason, didn't take the doctor's advice. She adds, "It is in no way fair or acceptable to blame her or anyone else, not even Anthony."

Legendary racehorse trainer Bob Baffert knows a thing or 2 about winning big races, including that they require some luck ... which is why the King was by his side for Justify's epic win!

Baffert invited the Burger King mascot to join his party before his horse went wire-to-wire to take the Triple Crown Saturday at the Belmont Stakes ... because he considers him a good luck charm.

There's good reason for that -- the King made a surprise appearance behind Baffert in 2015 when his racehorse American Pharoah became the first to win the Triple Crown in 37 years.

With Justify in the same position after winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, Baffert hoped for a case of history repeating ... and the King worked his magic.

Anthony Bourdain was laughing, smiling and full of personality just days before his suicide ... according to the people who cooked and served one of his final 'Parts Unknown' meals.

Bourdain and his crew were shooting at Wistub La Petite Venise on Tuesday in Colmar, France. Sources at the restaurant tell us Bourdain was extremely friendly with the staff, telling jokes, smiling and talking about food and wine.

We're told he was in great spirits even when cameras weren't rolling.

Anthony indulged in 2 faves of France's Alsace region. Choucroute garnie -- the dish he posted on IG -- is sauerkraut, sausages, salted meats and potatoes. We're told he also tried the jambonneau ... a smoked leg of ham.

Chef Alexis Schonstein tells us, "It was a good moment I will always keep in mind." As we've reported, 3 days after the shoot, Anthony was found after he hanged himself in his nearby hotel room.

Wolfgang Puck won't soon forget the impact Anthony Bourdain had on his life, the culinary community or the rest of the world ... calling the late food and travel expert an inspiration to many.

We spoke to Puck Friday outside Spago -- his famed Bev Hills restaurant -- and he offered immense praise for Bourdain. Puck says the most tragic part about his sudden death is that he believes Anthony had just hit the peak of his success.

One of the last images taken of Anthony Bourdain shows him riding a tandem bike through eastern France with the chef who would find him, days later, dead in his hotel room.

The photo was taken 2 days ago in the town of Colmar. We know Bourdain had been out there filming an episode of 'Parts Unknown' with pal and fellow chef Eric Ripert. Ripert is at the helm of the bike with Bourdain, who looks deep in thought.

Anthony's crew had their own tandem ride to capture the footage as they rode alongside Bourdain and Ripert.

Anthony Bourdain wasn't just a legendary chef ... he was the most influential celebrity Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner -- who helped introduce the martial art to the masses -- so says the guy whose family founded BJJ.

TMZ Sports talked to Rener Gracie -- whose grandfather, Helio Gracie, created Gracie Jiu-Jitsu a.k.a. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu -- about Bourdain's impact on his family's sport.

FYI -- Rener's coached Ronda Rousey and UFC star Brian Ortega ... and occasionally hit the mats with A.B. (check out their training sesh below from 2014).

Bourdain wasn't the only celeb to train ... Ashton Kutcher, Vince Vaughn, Ed O'Neill, Kelly Slater, Guy Ritchie, and Keanu Reeves practice BJJ -- but according to Gracie, Anthony was the most important.

"I think that Anthony Bourdain, A, because of his enthusiasm and his ease of communication, and B, because of his age, is responsible for more people doing Jiu-Jitsu and beginning Jiu-Jitsu, than probably any other celebrity ever who's not a professional fighter."

Rener goes on to say Bourdain's passing leaves a void that might never be filled.

The tragic deaths of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade by suicide have sparked a wave of calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ... TMZ has learned.

The Mental Health Association of New York tells TMZ ... the hotline has experienced a 25% increase in call volume compared to this time last week. The number has been shared by tons of celebs, which the MHA says has resulted in more people "being aware of the resource and calling the Lifeline to get help."

The association has proven to deescalate moments of crisis and help people find hope. Last year alone, the Lifeline answered 2 million calls. The increase in calls comes on the heels of the CDC saying suicide rates in the U.S. increased more than 25 percent since 1999.

As we reported ... Anthony was found dead in his hotel room. Kate was found dead in her NYC apartment and both died by hanging.

RIP

Andre Rush -- the White House chef who looks more like a bodybuilder -- says he never expected his military career to lead him to D.C., but it all worked out ... and speaking of workouts ...

The retired Army Master Sergeant Chef was on "TMZ Live" Friday after going viral this week when a reporter posted a shot of him preparing a Ramadan meal for the Prez and 30-40 guests. Ya can't help but stare at his massive guns.

Turns out ... Chef Rush has experience with real guns, too. He says he was an Army Ranger, but took up cooking to cope with the stresses of military life. Now, he's cooking for presidents and other world leaders.

9:00 AM PT -- Asia just released a statement addressing Bourdain's passing, saying ... "Anthony gave all of himself in everything that he did. His brilliant, fearless spirit touched and inspired so many, and his generosity knew no bounds. He was my love, my rock, my protector."

She continues, "I am beyond devastated. My thoughts are with his family. I would ask that you respect their privacy and mine."

Anthony Bourdain and Asia Argento seemed as tight as ever just last week ... but it appears something changed within the last few days.

Asia, an Italian actress and director, also worked on Bourdain's show, 'Parts Unknown.' Bourdain posted a photo last week of the two from their trip to Hong Kong ... that episode just aired this week. The pic featured the crew, including Asia, who was sitting right next to him.

Just a few weeks ago, they were together in Florence, Italy ... and still looked very happy and romantic.

Here's where things get murky. We know Anthony was shooting his show in France this week -- he'd been there for at least 4 days. However, Asia was back in Rome, strolling around with a French reporter named Hugo Clément. There were photos of them holding hands and hugging, but the Italian photographer who shot the pics pulled them off the market on the heels of Anthony's death.

It's unclear if Anthony and Asia had broken up. If they did, there was no public announcement. Their last public appearance together was at an event was back in April in NYC.

Anthony and Asia started dating in early 2017, and he supported her when she went public with rape allegations against Harvey Weinstein -- saying, "I am proud and honored to know you. You just did the hardest thing in the world."

Beloved chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain is dead of an apparent suicide.

Bourdain was found dead in his hotel room in Strasbourg, France ... according to CNN. The network says Bourdain's friend and fellow chef Eric Ripert discovered the body Friday morning. He had hanged himself.

They were on location in France shooting an episode of his award-winning show, 'Parts Unknown.'

Ripert tells us, "Anthony was a dear friend. He was an exceptional human being, so inspiring and generous. One of the great storytellers of our time who connected with so many. I wish him peace. My love and prayers are with his family, friends and loved ones."

Bourdain made his name first as a chef ... and then an author. His famous book, "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly," was published in 2000, and its enormous success helped him jump into TV.

His first show was "A Cook's Tour" on the Food Network -- but the series 'No Reservations' on the Travel Channel was his breakout hit.

In 2013, 'Parts Unknown' premiered on CNN, and it immediately won a Peabody Award. During a 2016 episode, shot in Argentina, Bourdain admitted he sometimes struggled with depression.

His last Instagram post was a meal he had 4 days ago in France. In typical Bourdain fashion ... lots of meats and potatoes.

His suicide comes just 3 days after Kate Spade took her own life by hanging herself in her NYC home.

Bourdain leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter. He was 61.

RIP