Latest news with #MaxTucci
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Wendy Williams looks in good spirits as she steps out for dinner in NYC after responding to shocking dementia test results
Wendy Williams looked in good spirits as she arrived at Tucci restaurant in New York City for a meal on Saturday. The former daytime TV queen, 61, was all smiles as she was escorted into the venue by the restuarant owner Max Tucci. Wendy cut a stylish figure for the outing as she donned a white shirt dress and cinched her waist with a grey belt. The TV star also wore a pair of white trainers and carried her things in a large tan handbag. Wendy has been living at a luxury assisted-living facility in New York since being placed under court-ordered guardianship in 2022. The broadcaster was diagnosed in 2023 with frontotemporal dementia and aphasia, but she insists she's not incapacitated and wants out of the guardianship, claiming she's being controlled against her will. Results from her new medical evaluation — described as involving 'a significant number of tests, both medical and neuropsychological, and scans including brain imaging' — prompted doctors to issue an opinion regarding Williams' neurological condition and diagnosis, according to legal documents obtained by People on Tuesday. While the paperwork itself does not explicitly list her condition, sources claimed the exams confirmed Williams has frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and aphasia - and now she has issued a retort to the allegation. She declared on Saturday that her attorneys were 'highly upset' about the recent coverage surrounding her present state of health, via Page Six. Wendy was also asked if she wanted to say anything to her guardian Sabrina Morrissey, but replied only that 'I want to say hi to my attorneys, Allan Diamond and Joe Tacopina. And I will get out of guardianship.' She made the remarks while arriving for dinner at Tucci's. In the new documents, an attorney representing Morrissey requested that the court extend the guardianship for an additional three months, setting a proposed end date of November 5. The attorney also noted that 'complications have arisen' because various parties — including counsel for certain family members, Wendy's ex-husband, and others — have indicated plans to challenge both the guardianship itself and Ms. Morrissey's role as guardian. The news came almost a month after Wendy and powerhouse attorney Joe Tacopina were spotted outside Scott's restaurant in NYC, where they confirmed a lawsuit is coming. 'Those responsible for her status, her, basically, incarceration, will be held accountable,' Tacopina told TMZ. 'There's no question about that.' He didn't hold back, adding: 'This guardian process is scary. She was misdiagnosed.' 'What's next is hopefully justice,' Tacopina continued. 'This process has been so long, it's really despicably slow.' Then, gesturing toward Wendy, he added, 'This is Wendy, the same Wendy, we've had conversation over six months, she's the same Wendy Williams that you know from TV. She belongs in a facility like I belong in a facility.' 'She is a person in control of her faculties and is a great human being… and it sickens me… this isn't a case for me, it's a cause…' Wendy jumped in with a laugh, saying, 'I just had a birthday and I'm still in a guardianship. If that doesn't say enough, I don't know what does.' Tacopina wrapped it up with a clear mission: 'My goal for now and the priority is to get her back home.' He added, 'Wherever home is… where she can come and go as she pleases.' Wendy was placed under the guardianship of Sabrina Morrissey in 2022—and in a bombshell court filing last November, Morrissey claimed Williams was 'permanently incapacitated' due to her dementia battle. In March, Wendy made a bold move by retaining a new legal team to fight for her freedom and challenge the court-ordered arrangement. The star hired Tacopina - who recently represented A$AP Rocky - to help secure her freedom from her three-year conservatorship. Since then, a #FreeWendy movement has gained momentum. In a dramatic moment caught on camera in early April, Williams was seen banging on her facility window while supporters rallied in the street below, demanding she be released.
Fox News
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
NYC restaurant offers ‘GLP-1 meals'
Restaurateur and media personality Max Tucci discusses how his New York City restaurant, Tucci, is offering meals catering to users of weight-loss drugs on 'Fox & Friends Weekend.'
New York Post
24-06-2025
- Health
- New York Post
NYC restaurants catering to Ozempic crowd with single meatballs, 1-ounce hamburgers and caviar nibbles
It's the tapas of the town. Restaurants across New York City are increasingly adding single, flavor-packed bites to their menus to accommodate customers with shrinking appetites due to weight-loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. According to some surveys, as many as 1 in 8 Americans have tried the drugs. People come in and 'they're not shy about saying they're on Ozempic,' said Max Tucci, the restaurateur behind the buzzy Tucci in NoHo. To better serve such guests, the Italian restaurant recently started offering its caviar-topped arancini in a single portion for $12 — instead of the usual three arancini for $34. 4 Tucci offers an individual serving of its arancini for diners with smaller appetites. People come in and 'they're not shy about saying they're on Ozempic,' said restaurateur Max Tucci. Emmy Park for NY Post Guests can also order a single meatball for $10, instead of the usual $27 portion, which includes three of the signature item, featuring manchego cheese and a Calabrian chili marinara. 'If more people are going through this and they're experiencing this, and their appetites are suppressed, then let's offer them something sweet and simple,' Tucci told The Post of his motivation. It's a win for the restaurant, he added, because it results in less food waste. Clinton Hall, a beer-and-burger joint with several locations in Manhattan and one in the Bronx, is known for its hearty offerings, such as 'The CH Challenge' — a 20-ounce beef patty dressed with bacon, cheese, chicken tenders, crispy onion rings and more for $50. But, it recently introduced a Teeny Weeny Mini Meal for summer that features two 1-ounce beef patties and baby buns. '[Diners are] being a little bit more conscious about their intake,' Clinton Hall's culinary marketing director Gregory Mecane told The Post. This is a playful way 'to serve bold flavor in portions that reflect more and more adults' shrinking appetites.' Other restaurants aren't altering their menus, but they're finding that diners have a bigger appetite for small, luxurious bites. Customers want bold flavor without the food coma. At The Noortwyck in the West Village, an appetizer featuring a single hash brown topped with caviar and crème fraîche for $22 has long been on the menu. But, chef Andy Quinn admits the item's popularity has grown over the past year. 4 Clinton Hall recently added a Teeny Weeny Mini Meal (front) in addition to its big burger offerings. Courtesy Gregory Mecane It could very well 'be attributed to the rise in Ozempic [use],' he told The Post, adding that he's also observed tables ordering fewer dishes than they once did. In Tribeca, the haute Japanese-French restaurants l'abeille recently nixed its five-course menu in favor of a three-course option to accommodate those with smaller appetites. Owner Howard Chang said they've 'noticed people are eating less' perhaps due to weight-loss drugs. He added they're happy to offer single portions of ala carte dishes, such as a squash blossom stuffed with New Caledonian blue prawn and saffron rice. Typically, two come to an order for $48, but those who ask can order just one. 4 The individual hash brown bites with caviar at The Noortwyck have been increasingly popular. Courtesy of The Noortwyck At other popular restaurants, restaurateurs might not acknowledge they're catering to GLP-1 users, but those with smaller appetites will certainly find appealing options. Since it opened in early 2024, the upscale fried chicken joint Coqodaq has been famed for offering a singular chicken nugget topped with Golden Daurenki caviar for $28. At Crevette, an elegant, rose-hued Mediterranean restaurant that opened in the West Village earlier this year from the team behind Dame, the menu is heavy on raw bar offerings. However, there's no three-tiered seafood tower on offer but rather a large assortment of single, thoughtfully conceived bites, such as a chilled mussel with salsa brava for $2 or an individual razor clam with parsley and cucumber for $12. 4 At Coqodaq, the caviar-topped chicken nuggets pack a lot of luxury and flavor into a small package. Evan Sung/COQODAQ The trend seems likely to follow a similar path as the rise of low- and no-alcoholic cocktails. Not too long ago, those who didn't want to imbibe while eating out had limited options at NYC restaurants — typically just iced tea and soda. Now, creative zero-proof cocktails — many with price tags only slightly lower than their boozy brethren — abound. 'We're always evolving. We're always learning,' Tucci said of himself and other city restaurateurs. 'If this is going to become a food trend and we're making money off of it too, then it's worth doing.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Real Housewives vet Sonja Morgan shares HER side of ugly story over $1K restaurant bill that got her 'blacklisted'
Former Real Housewives of New York City personality Sonja Morgan has talked to about an ugly incident that went down at Tucci restaurant in New York City on Saturday. The 61-year-old reality TV star was accused of refusing to pay her $1,000 tab after dining with several friends. A source told Page Six that she threw around attitude saying she deserved a free meal because she is famous and got 'hysterical.' It was added she is now banned from the dining spot. But that Bravo star has cleared up what really went down. Turns out Morgan was invited to eat at Tucci's for free in exchange for posting about the venue to her 1.2million Instagram followers, she has claimed. She had done this several times in the past and it worked out fine so she thought everything was understood. With all this noise of Morgan's $1K bill, however, the Tucci restaurant is getting more press than it has ever seen. The deal was made with the owner of the hot spot, Max Tucci, through phone and text, it was explained. She also shared that the entire staff knew her meal was supposed to be comped for press, so it was a matter of 'miscommunication.' And she never acted 'hysterical.' 'There was a clear miscommunication. I believed I was dining in exchange for a promotional post, as discussed with Max,' she told on Tuesday. 'I made that known to staff, and when it seemed we weren't aligned, I offered relentlessly to reimburse him but didn't hear back.' Morgan ended up paying the entire bill on Monday and added a generous tip, has learned. But Tucci seems as if he is still aggravated by the event even though she paid in full. He is the third generation partner of Delmonico's Restaurant and founder of TUCCI-New York. Another famous face that has dropped by Tucci in recent months is troubled former talk show host Wendy Williams. Tucci, however, told PageSix that it was not right of her to ask for a free meal at a restaurant these days because food costs are so high. He added the blonde beauty was 'just taking advantage' of the glamorous watering hole that has become a beloved place to dine. 'There was no arrangement for her to have a comped dinner. She just wanted free food and service,' he argued to the site. With all this noise of Morgan's $1K bill, however, the Tucci restaurant is getting more press than it has ever seen. Morgan last appeared on Real Housewives of New York City during season 13 in 2021. Despite the unsavory incident, the mother-of-one took to Instagram on Sunday to mark Mother's Day with a trio of selfies. She wrote in a caption to her 1.2 million followers, 'My Mother's Day look. Hoping all my Mothers celebrated themselves and their families yesterday.' And her 24-year-old daughter Quincy Morgan, whom the reality star shared with her late ex-husband John Adams Morgan, gave her a shoutout online. The University of Pennsylvania graduate uploaded four throwback photos and wrote, 'The best mom @sonjatmorgan.'
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Glamorous celebrity is BANNED from ritzy NYC restaurant after refusing to pay $1,000 bill
Former Real Housewives of New York City star Sonja Morgan has found herself blacklisted from one of Manhattan's trendiest restaurants after a dramatic showdown over a $1,000 dinner bill. The 61-year-old reality TV alum allegedly caused a full-blown spectacle at Tucci, a chic hotspot in NoHo, after being handed the check for her group's evening out. Sources claim Morgan, who arrived with a party larger than her reservation, erupted when the staff refused to comp the meal. 'She was absolutely hysterical,' an onlooker told Page Six. 'It felt like a lost episode of RHONY. She was shouting, " I'm a celebrity!" and insisting she shouldn't have to pay.' The outburst reportedly began after Morgan, who initially booked a table for three, showed up with five guests during one of the restaurant's busiest nights. The group was reportedly dining before heading to her cousin Jack Morgan's 30th birthday celebration at Boom Boom Room. When presented with the nearly four-figure tab, Morgan refused to pay, insisting she had a 'promotional agreement' in place. She allegedly phoned restaurant owner Max Tucci and demanded the dinner be comped, citing her status as a single mother and influencer. 'She said, "People pay me to go to their restaurants,"' the source said. 'She expected to be treated like royalty, but there was no deal in place.' While Morgan eventually settled the bill - tip included - by Monday, the damage was already done. Tucci has made it clear she is no longer welcome at his establishment. 'It's not about me,' Tucci told the outlet. 'Don't do that to my staff.' He added that Morgan had been comped in the past but there was no agreement this time. 'The cost of everything is so expensive right now. She was just taking advantage,' he added. 'There was no arrangement for a free meal - she simply didn't want to pay.' Morgan has since confirmed to Page Six there was 'a clear miscommunication,' saying she had believed her dinner was in exchange for a promotional post and that she had communicated this to the staff. Still, Tucci is standing firm. 'There's a difference between miscommunication and entitlement,' he said. 'This wasn't about a misunderstanding - it was about expecting special treatment.' The incident has sparked whispers among NYC's social scene, many of whom are now wondering whether other celebs are leveraging their names for free meals with no real agreement in place. And now, Morgan can't get a meal at Tucci even if she is ready to pay on her own as she's been blacklisted from the restaurant.
