Famous Food

A competitive eater is breathing a (fiery) sigh of relief today ... 'cause officials just revealed the man's insane ghost pepper meal back in November has officially become a new watermark.

Gregory Foster gobbled down 17 of the world's spiciest ingredient in one minute roughly nine months ago in San Diego ... and Guinness World Records formally crowned him the new king of heat eating on Wednesday.

It's great news for the guy -- because his run at the record was excruciating.

Check out video of his snack ... the peppers were packed with so much fire, he actually had to wear gloves for the occasion. Yet, somehow, he nearly ate the full plate -- consuming a total of 3.98 ounces -- in 60 seconds, barely beating the old record of 3.42 ounces.

"This attempt was solely a personal endeavour to achieve another Guinness World Record alongside my currently standing [ones]," Foster said after the record was announced Monday. "I love chilli eating and pushing myself."

Of course, Foster is used to feasts like these -- the two other Guinness records he holds are the most Carolina Reaper chilies eaten in one minute, and the fastest time to eat three Carolina Reaper chilies.

He's also the founder of Inferno Farms -- where they make sauces in the hottest flavors -- so, yeah, he's a glutton for this kind of stuff.

Not long after former President Donald Trump was raided in Florida -- his daughter was seemingly having a ball in Minnesota -- grabbing dinner and flashing a smile with her hubby.

Ivanka Trump, DT's former senior White House advisor, was out in downtown Rochester Monday night with Jared Kushner ... about 2.5 hours after her pops got an unwelcome visit from the FBI at Mar-a-Lago, where they executed a search warrant.

In photos obtained by TMZ, you can see IT and JK departing Bleu Duck Kitchen, we're told -- where witnesses say they had a table to themselves and apparently a bit of vino. Both looked to be in great moods, despite what was happening with 45.

PETA is putting Zac Efron on BLAST after appearing in an ad campaign with a bear that has spent its entire life in captivity.

The org is urging Zac to "come down to Earth" and recognize that bears belong with their families, not on screen ... according to Debbie Metzler, PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Welfare.

She thinks Zac, who's been named Chief Brand Officer for Kodiak Cakes, forgot to ask Tank the bear an important question in his latest ad for the company -- "How wrong is it to use a captive bear to promote 'keeping bears wild'?"

BTW -- 27-year-old Tank was born in captivity and was taken from a breeder at just 6 weeks old ... he was featured on the Discovery+ Show, "Man Vs. Bear."

Kodiak Cakes is running a limited-time collab with Zac, where a dollar-for-dollar match of their "Keep It Wild" merch will go directly to the Vital Ground Foundation, a nonprofit that supports the preservation of wild grizzly bear habitats.

PETA, however, clapped back at the promo saying ... “It’s hypocritical to exploit one animal to potentially help another. No true conservation group would ever force captive animals to perform tricks for the camera in order to raise awareness about their wild counterparts.”

Bun B is preparing for a big weekend behind the grill with his Trill Burgers franchise ... one part of a history-making food court at LL Cool J’s Rock the Bells festival.

The UGK rapper checked in with "TMZ Live" Thursday to shout out the good news about Trill Mealz Food Court … which will also feature restaurants owned and operated by Nas, E-40, Jadakiss & Styles P., Mia X and Ghostface Killah!

Like he originally told us, Bun floated the so-called hip hop food court idea by LL, and the rest is soon-to-be restaurant history. It'll be the first of its kind when RTB opens on August 6.

Bun says music festivals are a total win-win -- fans get to interact with their favorite artists’ side biz, and get to experience food they might not have access to back home.

In fact, he's so confident in his burgers' flavor profiles that he says customers won't be able to tell the difference between traditional meat and vegan options!

Bun’s self-endorsements are not served with a side of cap … a panel of chefs and celebs recently named his Trill Burgers tops in the land, and handed him a $10K check, too!!!

Talk about inflation ... 2 McDonald's McMuffins are costing an airplane passenger nearly $2K, because Australia's dropping hefty fines to keep a certain non-Covid virus out of the country.

The unnamed passenger flew from Bali to Darwin, Australia last week, but committed a major culinary crime by leaving 2 undeclared egg and beef sausage McMuffins in their luggage ... according to Aussie officials. Even worse ... airport agents also found a ham croissant!

While the not-so-happy meal bust might seem funny to us, it's costing that passenger a $1,874 fine!!! The hero agent here is a biosecurity detector dog named Zinta ... part of Australia's crackdown on food safety and prevention measures following an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease.

Australia's Department of Agriculture says Zinta sniffed out a "range of undeclared risk products."

So yeah, those McMuffins ended up costing more than the flight!

Joey Chestnut can't be stopped -- the greatest eater of all time just added another world record to his résumé ... after eating 44 Raising Cane's chicken fingers in just 5 minutes!!

Jaws accomplished the feat at the restaurant chain's new location on the Las Vegas Strip on Wednesday ... downing fowl (and even some sauce!) as the crowd cheered him on.

Of course, the spectacle was in honor of National Chicken Finger Day ... and it's safe to say no one celebrated the holiday better than Joey, who's a big fan of the food.

"The environment is as good as the food, and their chicken fingers are the best in the world," Chestnut said.

Here's the crazy part -- 44 wasn't enough to fill Chestnut ... 'cause after the clock hit 0:00, he kept eating!!

Joey is the biggest competitive eater in the world ... and is fresh off winning the Nathan's Hot Dog contest on July 4, securing his 15th Mustard Belt.

Chestnut says he'll be back to try and break his own chicken finger record ... and we believe him.

Howard Kleinberg of 'Top Chef' fame has died from a heart attack.

The kitchen wiz -- who appeared on the third season of the reality show -- passed away last week, which was made public in a local obituary. Howard's mother told the Miami Herald, "I am just finding out how many lives he touched. He was married to his passion in life, which was his cooking."

She also confirmed he'd suffered a heart attack.

Bravo addressed Kleinbeg's death as well, writing ... "The Top Chef family is saddened to learn about the unexpected passing of Howard Kleinberg from season three. Howie’s passion for cooking filled so many and our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends."

HK is best remembered for competing in "Top Chef: Miami" in 2007, where he placed seventh. Afterward, he opened his own restaurant in town called Bulldog Barbecue -- among other eateries as well -- and found success in the local scene.

It was actually a memorable run for Kleinberg -- with one of his highlights from that season being a tense conversation he had with the late Anthony Bourdain, who was chastising him over speed in the kitchen ... only to have the tables turned on him by Howard dropping a Bourdain quote from one of his books, which left AB thoroughly impressed.

Kleinberg is survived by his mom, his stepdad, his sister and her children. He was 46.

A Taco Bell manager poured scalding water on two customers who complained that the restaurant got their order wrong, sending them to the hospital with serious burns, this according to a recently filed lawsuit.

In their $1 million suit, Plaintiffs Brittany Davis and her niece, a minor identified only as C.T., claim they pulled up to a drive-thru at a Taco Bell in Dallas and placed a $31 order, but they didn't get what they wanted.

So they circled through the drive-thru 2 more times to rectify the situation, but the employee was having none of it.

The pair then allegedly parked their vehicle and tried to walk inside the fast-food joint, but it was already closed. An employee unlocked the door, allowing them to enter.

After the two asked for their order to be corrected, one of the workers allegedly challenged C.T. to a fight before the manager appeared, holding a bucket of piping hot water.

The manager then doused C.T.'s face with the boiling water, which splashed the chests of both plaintiffs, according to the suit filed July 13 by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Luckily, the two were able to escape before they could be attacked again by Taco Bell staff, who laughed and clapped as they drove away, the suit claims.

Davis says she suffered deep burns to her chest and stomach along with brain injuries, which have caused at least 10 seizures. C.T. says she sustained discoloring and scarring burns to her face, chest, legs, arms and stomach.

Dallas PD is investigating the incident, which occurred on June 17.

Crump tells TMZ ... "Not only did Brittany and C.T. Suffer physical trauma because of the burns but they will now live with the psychological trauma that comes with an attack like this. Corporations have a duty to employ quality and stable employees who hold safety as the highest priority.”

We reached out to Taco Bell ... so far no word back.

The owner of Raising Cane's is buying a lottery ticket for every employee he's got -- a nice bonus to be split by everyone if one of the tickets turns out to be a winner.

Todd Graves has vowed to spend around $100K on the Mega Millions, a $2 ticket for every single one of his 50,000 employees he's got throughout the company. If you didn't know ... the Mega Millions is at an incredible $810 million, the 4th biggest prize ever.

Of course, once you factor out taxes and everything else, the 50,000 employees would likely walk away with $10K-$20K each ... not too shabby!!!

In an interview with WVUE, Graves said his crew always stands together, which is why he's looking to bring some extra fun into their job -- and hopefully some extra cash.

Shaq hit the road in a bright yellow bus, driving straight to a Papa John's restaurant ... to talk with team members about how they can get a free degree.

A rep for Papa John's tells TMZ ... Shaq, who's a board member and franchisee owner, drove around ATL in a customized school bus Friday, heading to a restaurant in the area to talk about the company's education offer.

He chatted with team members about the importance of continuing their college education -- he's even inviting them to earn a degree, with all tuition and fees paid by Papa John's through the Dough & Degrees program.

The program makes it possible for Papa John's team members to go to school at no cost -- tuition, books and fees are completely covered. While other programs will reimburse students, the company is making sure they take care of the costs upfront.

It covers degrees from Associates to Masters ... over 60 team members have graduated debt-free in a variety of fields since the program Dough & Degrees launched in 2019.

Shaq's no stranger to Papa John's or Atlanta -- he invested in 9 local restaurants a few years back, looking to simply give back to the community.

Zac Efron and Netflix are tarnishing a health and wellness brand's good name with their streaming series ... according to a new lawsuit.

The actor and streaming giant are being sued over "Down To Earth With Zac Efron" by a company called Down To Earth Organics, which claims the Netflix travel show is hurting their biz.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, DTE claims they locked down the rights to "Down To Earth" for media and entertainment purposes well before Zac and Netflix premiered their show.

DTE says the Netflix series, which follows Zac around the globe to find healthy, sustainable ways to live, is trying to create a new "Down To Earth" wellness brand ... and the company says it's hurting their bottom line by confusing customers.

What's more, DTE says the Netflix series' advice on wellness "has been widely ridiculed" and is pushing "damaging false nutrition claims." ... and they're not fans of Zac using the show to cross-promote Nature Valley snack bars on social media, because DTE says they offer their own healthy snacks with the trademark.

DTE is going after Zac and Netflix for damages ... and they want an injunction prohibiting Zac and Netflix from infringing on their "Down To Earth" trademarks.

A 25-year-old pizza delivery guy rivals any Marvel superhero, by running into a burning house and saving the lives of 5 kids, risking his own life and suffering serious injuries in the process.

Nicholas Bostic was driving along a street in Lafayette, Indiana last week just after midnight, when he saw a house fully engulfed in flames. There were no firetrucks or other emergency vehicles in sight, so Nicholas decided to act ... he ran into the burning house and began yelling to see if anyone was still inside.

He heard nothing, but still felt there may be people trapped, so he walked through the house which was filled with choking smoke and made his way upstairs, where he found 4 kids ... they ranged in age from 1 to 18. They were sleeping, and Nicholas woke them and they ran to safety.

They were all outside, when one of the kids told Nicholas there was a 6-year-old child still inside the house. Nicholas ran back inside, but he had no idea where the child was ... he screamed for the child as he meandered through the burning home, even looking under beds.

He made his way upstairs, but then heard a child crying in the downstairs area. Problem was ... smoke was everywhere and it felt like an oven. Nicholas couldn't see but he wrapped his shirt around his mouth and took the plunge downstairs, where he located the child.

Nicholas scooped up the little girl in the blinding black smoke and looked for the door but he couldn't see it. So, he ran back upstairs with the child and jumped from the second-floor window, making sure he landed on his side so the child was protected from impact.

The child incredibly was unharmed. Nicholas, however, suffered severe smoke inhalation and, according to cops, "gravely cut his right arm."  You see in the video EMTs use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He was flown to a hospital where he was treated.

His cousin has created a GoFundMe account and so far he's raised north of $200,000.

It's a sad day for Steelers fans -- the transition from Heinz Field is officially underway ... with the stadium's iconic ketchup bottle signs coming down on Monday.

Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they're partnering with tech insurance company Acrisure for a 15-year naming rights deal ... which will end the Heinz Field era after 20 years.

A news photographer from KDKA captured the first steps of the makeover on Monday -- showing the massive Heinz ketchup bottle sign being removed by a crane and placed on the ground.

Some of the construction workers on site even used it as a photo opp -- posing in front of the bottle after it came down.

While some fans are hurt over the change, Steelers President Art Rooney II is excited about the new name ... saying in a statement the org. is "excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium."

"We are very appreciative to partner with Greg Williams and his company, and we look forward to a long, beneficial relationship for years to come."

Steelers Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher likes the name change as well ... adding,  "Pittsburgh will always be a very tough place to play."

Well, 7,000+ Black and Gold fans disagree ... and started a petition in hopes of halting the change.

Based on the quick action to remove all things ketchup from the building, it's not looking good for their cause.

Master P is continuing his grocery store takeover with the introduction of another product: New Orleans Style Snow Cones.

The Colonel tells TMZ Hip Hop ... companies like Kellogg’s and Kraft rooted themselves in the business and have revenue streams that outlast entertainment careers in music, sports and movies.

Exactly the type of advice you’d expect to get from a guy who named his company “No Limit" ... and with more than 30 years in the biz, Master P thinks negativity in Black culture gets too much of the spotlight.

His mission is to teach kids flooding the market with product is better than having talent, something he firmly believes.

The new product has 7 different flavors to add to his other products, which include Soldier and Rap Snacks, noodles and cereal.

P also tells us he has a special food project with Snoop Dogg in the works. He says the “menu” is still under construction, but the two have been collaborating for years and he promises this one's gonna be special.

Diversifying the game is the tune most legendary rappers are singing these days.

Bun B recently told TMZ Hip Hop how he brought together Nas, Jadakiss and Styles P, E-40 and several other rappers' restaurant franchises for the upcoming Rock The Bells food court.

The UGK co-founder echoed many of Master P's sentiments in believing artists can use their influence to leverage into many opportunities typically foreign to them.

Iggy Azalea’s social media activity found its way into the crosshairs of infamous Cardi B debtor, Tasha K, and somewhere in the middle … lies Tory Lanez.

Blogger Tasha K -- who owes Cardi B $4M from her defamation suit and isn’t allowed to speak Barti’s name -- went in on Iggy Iggz's personal life as rumors swirl that Tory's dating the Australian-born rapper.

Iggy and Tory were indeed spotted out in public in June with no additional context to their meeting. They could’ve been discussing music for all we know!

The dating rumors were fueled even more Wednesday when Iggy cooked up a batch of oxtail … and Tory went outta his way to let the world know the food was bomb.

Enter Tasha K ... who went live and insinuated Iggy allowed Tory to get fed before her 2-year-old son Onyx, and needs government assistance to pay for child care. Remember, Onyx's dad is Playboi Carti.

Well, Iggy stepped up and threatened to sic her legal team on Tasha K -- a move that could easily put the blogger deeper in the hole if she blows another case.

A judge recently forced Tasha to scrub all her old posts mentioning Cardi, and there's still that $4 mil tab.

Boxing legend George Foreman says two women have made up claims that he sexually abused them ... all in an effort to extort him out of millions of dollars.

Sources familiar with the matter tell TMZ Sports ... a lawsuit against Foreman is expected to be filed in L.A. this week by two women whose fathers apparently had a friendship and working relationship with Foreman decades ago.

The suit, according to our sources, is expected to allege that Foreman sexually abused the women in the 1970s.

But, Foreman said in a statement on Wednesday that the allegations are flat-out not true.

"Over the past six months," Foreman said, "two women have been trying to extort millions of dollars each from me and my family. They are falsely claiming that I sexually abused them over 45 years ago in the 1970s."

"I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations. The pride I take in my reputation means as much to me as my sports accomplishments, and I will not be intimidated by baseless threats and lies."

Our sources say Foreman believes the suit and the allegations in it are all part of "a coordinated extortion plot" in which the women have asked him since January to pay them $12.5 MILLION each.

"I am, and always will be, guided by my faith and trust in God," Foreman said. "I will work with my lawyers to fully and truthfully expose my accusers' scheme and defend myself in court. I don't pick fights, but I don't run away from them either."