There's a reason why people use the words celebrity and tastemaker interchangeably. It's not just because so many celebs start new fashion trends. Nor is it because they're on the cutting edge of beauty. No, first and foremost, it's because they literally have amazing taste in food. Why else would so many chefs and restauranteurs look to the stars for dish inspiration?
Some get cooking tips or ingredient suggestions directly from celebrities, while others simply take the famous name. No matter the reason, stars have influenced the menus of hot spots in big cities, gourmet chains, and hometown favorites.
Ahead, you'll find a list of restaurant dishes from all over that have celebrity namesakes and the stories behind their creation. Now we have another goal on our quest to be like our fave stars — get a dish named in our honor!
Nori and Saint West Milkshakes - Morgenstern’s Finest Ice Cream (New York City)
Kanye West's love of ice cream has been well-documented over the years — trust me, you won't regret Google Image searching "Kanye West eating ice cream" — and that's exactly why Morgenstern's Finest Ice Cream teamed up with First We Feast for the past two years to bring an entire menu of Yeezy-inspire ice cream treats.
During the now-annual Kanye West ice cream week, the Manhattan-based parlor offers scoops of Positive Vibes Pistachio and “I Am A God” Ice Cream Croissantwiches. The stars of the menu, though, are the Saint and Nori Shakes. That's right, Kimye's kids are both younger than four-years-old and already have gourmet desserts named after them. Are you really surprised?
Photo: Robert Kamau/GC Images.
The Saint Shake is a raw milk ice cream shake, which First We Feast reports is "fit for a baby (and grown-ass babies)." The Nori Shake is a more grown-up Japanese white sesame shake.
Photo: Courtesy of Morgensterns Nyc.
Michelle Obama Melt: Good Stuff Eatery (Washington, D.C.)
In 2009, Good Stuff Eatery, a restaurant known for classic American dishes and high-quality ingredients, paid homage to the First Lady by adding the Michelle Melt to its menu. According to NBC News, the burger was created by one of Good Stuff's chefs Spike Mendelsohn and Sam Kass, who served as a White House chef and the executive director for FLOTUS' Let's Move! campaign.
Photo: Balce Ceneta/AP/REX/Shutterstock.
The Michelle Melt itself contains a free-range turkey burger patty, melted swiss cheese, caramelized onions, ruby red tomato, lettuce, and herb mayonnaise. All of that healthy and delicious goodness sits between two whole wheat buns. The fresh veggies and herbs are a nod to those that were available in Michelle's White House garden.
Photo: Courtesy of Good Stuff Eatery.
The Mindy Burger: Umami Burger (various locations)
It turns out Mindy Kaling doesn't just know how to put together a hilarious script, she can also come up with killer flavor combos. The creator and star of The Mindy Project designed a limited-edition signature dish for the gourmet burger chain Umami Burger back in 2015.
Photo: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock.
The Mindy Burger has plenty of spice just like Kaling's personality. It's topped with cheese, fried onion strings, pickled jalapeños, and house-made Sriracha aioli. According to the L.A. Times, $1 of every Mindy Burger sold went toward Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, an organization close to Kaling's heart.
Photo: Courtesy of Umami Burger.
Avril Lavigne's Special Pizza: La Pizzeria (Napanee, Canada)
The walls of La Pizzeria are littered with posters of Avril Lavigne not because it's owned by an angsty 7th-grade girl from 2004, but because it was one of the singer's hometown hang-out spots when she was in high school. At the time, Lavigne's favorite thing to order was pepperoni, mushroom, and green olive pizza, which is why the owner of the restaurant added a pie with those toppings to the menu and called it "Avril Lavigne's Special Pizza"
Photo: Jim Smeal/BEI/Shutterstock.
According to Contact Music, in 2005, Avril Lavigne upset the owners of her favorite hometown pizza parlor by telling reporters she no longer eats pepperoni or mushrooms. Still, she says it's an honor to be recognized by La Pizzeria.
Photo: Courtesy of Sally Hewson/Flickr.
Lady Gaga Sushi Roll: Various Restaurants
We already knew you could eat Lady Gaga's famous meat dress if you travel to China. But, it turns out there are plenty of other Gaga-inspired dishes right here in America. Strangely, according to biography.com, Lady Gaga sushi rolls appear on restaurant menus all across the country. The ingredients do vary widely from restaurant to restaurant, but most of them include a tuna element.
Photo: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock.
The Lady Gaga Roll pictured here hails from Reiki Sushi & Asian Bistro in Wilton, CT. The restaurant's menu says that this roll is made with spicy crunchy tuna, lobster salad, asparagus, cucumber, and tobiko. It's all wrapped in pink soy paper and served with mango sauce. That's a lot going on in one roll, which makes it an appropriate nod to Gaga's wild sense of style.
Photo: Courtesy of Reiki Sushi & Asian Bistro.
The "AlyssaMilano" Chicken Sandwich: Lioni Italian Heroes(Brooklyn)
Lioni Italian Heros in Brooklyn has over 139 sandwich options and most of them are named after famous people. The names range from talented and well-respected actors, like Leo DiCaprio and John Travolta, to celebs you kind of forgot about like Joey Fatone and Tony Danza — no disrespect meant. Right across from Danza on the menu, you'll find his Who's The Boss co-star Alyssa Milano.
Milano may seem like a random actress to pay homage to in sandwich form, but the reasoning behind her appearance on the menu actually makes perfect sense.
Photo: Gregory Pace/BEI/Shutterstock.
Alyssa Milano was born in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, the same area where Lioni's is located. What better way to honor an Italian-American girl from Brooklyn than with a delicious Italian sub? The Alyssa Milano, number 62 on the menu, is made with chicken cutlet, prosciutto di Parma, fresh mozzarella, and a basil mix.
Photo: Courtesy of Lioni Italian Heroes.
Martha Stewart Hot Dog: Pink’s Hot Dog (Los Angeles, California)
Pink's Hot Dogs has been around for almost 80 years, but it's come a long way from the depression-era pushcart it started out in. Its Hollywood location means Pinks has seen it's fair share of celebrities. Bruce Willis proposed to Demi Moore there, and Orson Wells once ate 18 of Pink's chili dogs in one sitting.
Photo: Angela Pham/BFA/REX/Shutterstock.
With so many high-profile visitors, the restaurant, of course, gives a few special shout outs on its menu. When Martha Stewart visited Pink's in the early 2000s, the Pink family decided to name a hot dog after her. The nine-inch Martha Stewart Dog comes with relish, onions, bacon, tomatoes, sauerkraut, and sour cream.
Photo: Albert L. Ortega/WireImage.
The Sarah Michelle Sushi Roll: Hamasaku (Los Angeles, California)
Sarah Michelle Geller and her husband Freddie Prinze Jr. have been loyal fans of Hamasaku in Los Angeles ever since it opened back in 2000. That's why, in 2006, Gellar was invited to collaborate with owner Toshi Kihara to create her very own sushi roll, USAToday reports.
Photo: Angela Pham/BFA/REX/Shutterstock.
Sarah Michelle Gellar and Toshi Kihara came up with a "jalapeño-tinged " tuna roll with avocado, which can also be ordered simply as "the Mrs. Prinze." According to People, Gellar's daughter Charlotte Grace takes after her parent's love of sushi. Maybe one day, she too will have a roll named after her, though she wouldn't be the first celebrity baby on this list.
Photo: Via @hamasakula.
The Woody Allen Sandwich: Carnegie Deli (New York City)
There are certain people and things that somehow seem intrinsically linked with New York City. Two that immediately come to mind are Woody Allen and pastrami, so it only makes sense that an iconic New York Deli have a pastrami sandwich named after Allen.
In the 1970s, The Carnegie Deli became a popular spot for well-known New Yorkers like Woody Allen and portions of Allen's 1984 film Broadway Danny Rose were even filmed there. After that, the deli named a sandwich for their famous patron.
Photo: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock.
The Woody Allen comes piled high with both pastrami and corned beef. And under the name, the menu reads, "For the dedicated fresser only!"
On December 31, 2016, the 80-year-old Carnegie Deli closed its doors for the very last time, so you can no longer order a Woody Allen sandwich. It's probably just as well since the sandwich cost almost $30 and not that many people can stand Woody Allen anymore.
Photo: Courtesy of Carnegie Deli.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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