Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood Is Open! See the Food at Toadstool Cafe

 

From Mario burgers to Princess Peach cakes, the restaurant at the Hollywood theme park is filled with whimsical menu items perfect for game lovers.

Super Nintendo World opens to the public on Friday and in true Universal Studios fashion, the restaurant in the newest addition to the Hollywood theme park is a fully immersive experience.

Toadstool Cafe is located behind a mushroom-shaped façade. There, diners are greeted by campy and cartoonish dining chairs that are made to look like oversized, knobby wood furniture. Dotted along the restaurant's walls and ceilings are green warp tubes and yellow mystery boxes, mainstays of the Mario games. The "windows" to the outside world display serene images of the Mushroom Kingdom's landscape.

To help fans plan their trip to the United States' first branch of Nintendo-related theme parks, Universal Studios Hollywood's official Instagram gave a peak at what "chef Toad has cooked up." Read on for some of the menu items made for the game's fanatics:

Piranha Plant Caprese: The piranha plant caprese is as much a sculpture as it is a meal. Two segments of a quartered tomato are dotted with circles of mozzarella cheese to form the piranha plant's head, while a single stalk of asparagus strewn along the plate makes for the stem. This eye-catching arrangement is accompanied by simply sliced tomatoes and mozzarella covered in a basil pesto as well as a bed of mesclun greens and marinated mushrooms.

Super Mushroom Soup: Many of the savory dishes on the menu like to feature mushrooms to invoke the air of the video game kingdom, so the super mushroom soup is certainly no exception. The creamy mushroom soup is served in a mushroom-shaped bowl and topped with three parmesan crackers with an image of Mario's mushroom power-up printed on them.

Toadstool Cheesy Garlic Knots: All of the dough for these garlic knots is made fresh in-house every day, according to the Los Angeles Times. The treats are formed into the shape of a mushroom before baking, after which, they're brushed with garlic butter and showered in parsley and parmesan cheese. An order of four comes with a bright red marinara for dipping.

Super Star Chicken Salad: This simple grilled chicken salad comes with a ranch-inspired truffle dressing to get a little hint of the Mushroom Kingdom in every bite. The classic salad made up of grilled chicken, romaine, cabbage, tomatoes and mushrooms also features miniature star-shaped croutons and a Super Star Parmesan cracker to top it all off.

Yoshi's Favorite Fruit and Veggie Salad: This plate mixes sweet and savory for a salad inspired by the beloved green dinosaur. The salad is tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette and features crunchy radishes and cucumbers, mushrooms and tomatoes to accompany plenty of strawberries and blueberries. The salad also has some green polka-dotted croutons meant to resemble Yoshi eggs and slices of star fruit to finish it off.

Chef Toad's Short Rib Special: This decadent main course features a short rib that's been braised for four hours, says LA Times. Mushrooms make a return appearance on the plate along with a bed of goat cheese polenta. The whole dish is surrounded by a moat of red wine reduction with spots of crème fraîche to resemble the mushroom-like pattern on Toad's head. The dish is topped with a parmesan cracker featuring a stamp of Toad's face.

The Mario Burger: The Mario burger is chef Toad's take on the classic bacon cheeseburger. The beef patty is accompanied by American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and, of course, mushrooms. The bun is stamped with Mario's mustache and then skewered with a pick topped with a replica of the plumber's iconic red cap.

Fire Flower Spaghetti and Meatballs: Having spaghetti and meatballs on the menu is a no-brainer considering the game's Italian plumber and his brother. Toad's take has some added mushrooms to transport guests to the Mushroom Kingdom. The plate's topped off with a Parmesan crisp snuggled between the meatballs featuring a Fire Flower printed on the surface, letting customers know there's some chili flakes in there, too.

Luigi Burger: A grilled chicken breast is topped with a slice of Swiss, a thick ring of green bell pepper and rests on a bed of greens. The whole thing is topped with an herby basil pesto and sandwiched between a brioche bun with Luigi's 'stache emblazoned on it. Like the Mario burger, Luigi's sandwich is held together with a pick featuring the brother's famed green cap.

Super Star Lemon Squash: This special drink is chock full of bursting boba with bright fruity flavors like green apple, orange, lemon and strawberry. The lemony soda then gets topped with star-shaped mango jellies.

Mt. Beanpole Cake: This two-piece cake features a taller stack and a shorter stack to recreate the landscape of the platformer video game. Layers of Italian cookie cake are separated by distinct Neapolitan-like layers of strawberry, chocolate and vanilla cream. The top layers of both stacks are coated in a matcha cream, and then the taller stack is skewered with a miniature recreation of the flagpole players find at the end of every level.

Princess Peach Cake: The Princess Peach cake pays tribute to the royal of the Mushroom Kingdom herself. The funfetti cupcake is filled with a fruity jam and features a tower of pink frosting. The mountainous dessert is covered in glitter and topped with a sugar cookie that's been cut and printed to look like the princess's tiara.

Block Tiramisu: All the desserts at the Toadstool Cafe could double as art pieces, and the question mark block tiramisu is one of the more sculptural desserts. The decadent structure is composed of five sugar cookies with a "?" printed on each one. Inside the box, customers will find layers of lady fingers and plenty of whipped cream. The dessert is accompanied by a swipe of raspberry sauce. On top of the tiramisu is one of Mario's power-ups printed on a piece of white chocolate.

 

Rihanna Reveals She and A$AP Rocky Didn't Have a Nanny After Son's Birth: 'Just Us as Parents'

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who are currently expecting baby No. 2, welcomed their first baby in May

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky spent the first few days of parenthood soaking up solo time with their baby boy.

The "Needed Me" singer opened up about new motherhood in the March issue of British Vogue, where she shared that she and Rocky, both 34, had "no one" with them when bringing their son home from the hospital after his birth in May.

"We came home, cold turkey, had no one. It was just us as parents and our baby," she shared.

Though the birth was "beautiful," she admitted to feeling a "head-f---" from the whole experience.

"I cannot believe it," she said. "Essentially, from one person I became two. You walk into the hospital as a couple and leave as a family of three. It's nuts. And oh, my gosh, those first days are insane. You don't sleep. At all. Not even if you wanted to."

Man, you're a zombie for the most part," she continued. "You're just going through the motions and even then you're so paranoid. Because you're like: they trusted us to come home with this baby? This new life? With us?" She starts laughing. "No doctors, no nurses, we're just… going home?"

Speaking to new motherhood, Rihanna said her first few months have been "legendary" with the infant.

It's everything. You really don't remember life before, that's the craziest thing ever," she said. "You literally try to remember it – and there are photos of my life before – but the feeling, the desires, the things that you enjoy, everything, you just don't identify with it because you don't even allow yourself mentally to get that far, because…. Because it doesn't matter."

The soon-to-be mom of two revealed that she's pregnant with her second baby while serving as the halftime performer for the 2023 Super Bowl on Sunday night.

A source told PEOPLE on Tuesday, "The main focus right now is on her family. She loves spending time with her son."

"She loves being a mom so this is where her mind is at the moment," said the insider. "She is the happiest she has ever been."

See the full feature in the March issue of British Vogue available via digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday 21st February.

 

Parents of 13-Year-Old Who Died in Aruba Boating Accident Work to Educate Others on Waterfront Safety

Cassidy Murray, a 13-year-old girl from Massachusetts, died during a trip to Aruba with her family in March of last year.

The parents of a 13-year-old Massachusetts student who died last year in a tragic boating accident are working to educate others about waterfront safety.

"I open Facebook, and I see posts from neighbors and friends and family saying, 'We're heading to Aruba for spring break,' or 'We're thinking about Aruba,' and our hearts just break right away because we didn't know the dangers," Linda Murray, whose daughter Cassidy Murray died during a family trip to Aruba in March 2022, told The Patriot Ledger. "We weren't aware."

Cassidy's death occurred during a tube ride at Fun 4 Every 1 Watersports Aruba with her father, Dave Murray, according to ABC News.

In his recollection of the incident during a recent sit-down interview with the outlet, he stated that his daughter fell into the water five minutes into the ride, and she was wearing a life jacket.

"I waved at her. She was safe," he added.

As he and the boat driver got close to her direction, he claimed that the boat driver lost control, "pulled it in full throttle" and hit Cassidy.

"The gentleman driving the boat, he had no first aid," he continued. "If there was a second person on the boat, even if there was a spotter, he would have seen we would have had an option to slow it down or he would have seen as soon as Cassidy was ejected."

A representative for the water sports adventure company did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

A description for the tubing experience found on their website states that the experience lasts for 15 minutes and that "the captain will listen to your requests" as you "fly, bounce, scream and have a blast while being pulled behind your boat in Aruba.

While there is currently no travel alert enacted, the State Department explains on their website that "the [Aruban] tourism industry is unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field.

After the prosecutor's office in Aruba found that there were was no criminal offense in Cassidy's death," according to ABC News, Dave and Linda tell the outlet that they are working to enact change and have taken Cassidy's case to the prime minister of Aruba and the country's tourism board.

"My hope is that someone is standing at the edge of the beach and about to step on a boat and says, 'Wait, I remember that interview. Wait, remember what that family said? Maybe we should check for this. Maybe we should ask this question,' " added Linda.

Chrishell Stause Was 'a Little Rusty' in 'Intense' Acting Return Post-Selling Sunset: 'It Was a Balancing Act'

The star of Lifetime's A Rose for Her Grave: The Randy Roth Story also tells PEOPLE about the fun (and relief) of reteaming with longtime friend and former All My Children costar Colin Egglesfield

Chrishell Stause is making a return to her acting roots with a riveting new Lifetime movie — and while it ultimately proved to be a rewarding experience for the soap vet, it still came with its challenges.

Though she's become well-known for her ties to Selling Sunset, Stause initially gained recognition through her work as an actor on soap operas including All My Children and Days of Our Lives. But she stepped away for a bit to pursue outside opportunities and forge an all-new path for herself.

I pursued my real estate license when they were basically getting new writers at Days of Our Lives, and I was looking for something that was a little more stable," the actress, 41, exclusively tells PEOPLE. "Instead of sitting, letting someone else be in charge of my career, I really wanted to take charge of it a little more. And so, I found real estate, and obviously, now that's taken me on a whole nother journey.

But according to Stause, everything has now come "full circle." She now has a new project premiering on Lifetime this Saturday titled A Rose for Her Grave: The Randy Roth Story. It's based on author Ann Rule's book of the same name, which is also inspired by the real-life crimes committed by Roth, a convicted criminal who murdered his first wife for life insurance money.

The film sees Stause as Lori, a woman who stops at nothing to prove that her best friend Cindy (Laura Ramsey) was killed by her husband, played by Colin Egglesfield.

Given the film's dark subject matter and depiction of abuse, it was imperative for Stause to find balance and reset between takes.

I feel like it is hard if you're bopping back and forth between super happy and making jokes and jovial, and then constantly having to jump back into this super intense space," she explains. "And so, for me, just to make it easier on myself, I would go to my room a lot and just, because normally, of course, I'm a very social person, very happy. But it does make it harder on just your brain and body to jump in and out, back and forth."

She adds, "I just found it a little easier in between to just really focus on the next lines and the next scene. And then, when the day's over or before the day started, I would have those moments with the cast members who I adore, and all the people that we've stayed in contact with since. But during a filming day, I did try to limit that a little bit."

The other hurdle Stause had to overcome was getting back into the practice of using her acting chops. And though she says it felt like riding "a bicycle," it still wasn't an easy feat. But this was still something that she "missed" doing, overall.

"Of course, there are certain things that it takes just a little bit of reminding your brain about. As far as just memorizing the lines, I felt a little rusty at first," says Stause, who worked on this film while shooting the upcoming season of Selling Sunset. "I worked in soaps for 15 years, so I used to be able to almost have a photographic memory. That's not the case anymore. It goes away when you stop using it."

There were things that I could feel were a little rusty, where I'd have to spend a lot more time on an amount of lines that normally I would be able to memorize in five minutes or something. There were little technical things like that," she continues. "But as far as when you're on the set, we did have to fit in a lot under a small amount of time. You really don't have multiple takes to get this right. There was a time constraint, so there was that part, that I remembered how much I loved it. I remembered feeling like."

For Stause, there were several perks to being a part of this project, one of which included having the opportunity to reteam with Egglesfield, 50.

I'd worked with Colin on All My Children before, and I knew how talented he was. We've been friends ever since," she shares. "I've followed him and been supportive of his whole career. And so, I knew the second that it would be me and him that it was something I had to try and make work logistically, because I really know how talented he is. And also, just having that trust back and forth, to feel like you can really play off of someone."

"I loved working with Colin. I feel like it was one of those things that we both were just so excited to be able to do because, imagine. It's been so many years, and when we played opposite each other before, our characters were friends. Now, we've been friends for so many years, to be able to go toe to toe with each other. I was excited," she adds

Ryan Seacrest Is Leaving ‘Live with Kelly and Ryan’ After Six-Year Run

The Hollywood multitasker provided a steady hand at a somewhat tumultuous time for the talk show. He will be replaced by Mark Consuelos, the husband of “Live” co-host Kelly Ripa.

Ryan Seacrest announced on Thursday that he was leaving “Live with Kelly and Ryan,” the syndicated morning talk show mainstay that he has hosted with Kelly Ripa since 2017.

Ms. Ripa said Thursday on the show that a familiar face, and frequent guest host, her husband Mark Consuelos, would assume co-hosting duties. The show will now be known as “Live with Kelly and Mark.”

“I’m so grateful to have spent the last six years beside my dear friend of too many decades to count and will miss starting my days with Ryan,” Ms. Ripa said in a statement. “Ryan’s energy, passion and love for entertainment is one-of-a-kind.”

Mr. Seacrest, a Hollywood multitasker, arrived at “Live” after a one-year search, and provided a steady hand at a somewhat tumultuous time for the show. In 2016, when Mr. Seacrest’s predecessor, Michael Strahan, announced he was leaving the show for “Good Morning America,” Ms. Ripa felt blindsided, and that the Walt Disney Company — which syndicates the show — was favoring its morning show franchise over her longtime talk show, which she has co-hosted since 2001. She walked off the show for several days, setting off a tabloid feeding frenzy.

Mr. Seacrest’s arrival nearly coincided with what seemed at the time to be a formidable rival: NBC was giving Megyn Kelly a 9 a.m. talk show, and investing tens of millions of dollars in it.

Although Ms. Kelly’s morning show could veer dark — “Megyn Kelly Today” often ran segments on topics like revenge porn and sexual harassment — Ms. Ripa and Mr. Seacrest kept it light, providing a soothing antidote to the divisive Trump years. Ms. Kelly’s show was trounced by “Live” in the ratings, and was canceled roughly a year after it started.

“Live,” which started in the 1980s as a New York talk show co-hosted by Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford, has long centered on a simple concept: Two hosts chatting about their lives, and bringing in celebrities for breezy interviews.

“The hosts have changed, but the overall concept continues on: two people, a man and a woman, and enjoying the chemistry between them,” said Michael Gelman, the longtime executive producer, in a 2017 interview.

Live” has been the top-rated daytime talk show among women ages 25 to 54, a demographic important to advertisers, for more than a year.

Mr. Seacrest will continue hosting the show until the spring, and will also continue hosting “American Idol,” ABC said. Mr. Seacrest said in a statement that working with Ms. Ripa for the last six years has been a “dream job.”

“It’s been a memorable ride and now I’m excited to pass the baton to Kelly’s ‘real’ husband, Mark,” he said.

Kelly Ripa Hilariously Welcomes Live Co-Host Mark Consuelos After Ryan Seacrest's Exit

Moments after Ryan Seacrest announced his departure from Live With Kelly and Ryan, Kelly Ripa quipped about the "contractual obligation phase" for her new co-host and husband, Mark Consuelos.

Kelly Ripa & Mark Consuelos Warn Daughter About "Freaky Week"

Kelly Ripa is giving fans a live look at how she's welcoming husband Mark Consuelos to his new daytime chair.

In case you missed this cup of morning tea: Kelly's current talk show co-host, Ryan Seacrest, announced on Feb. 16 that he was leaving Live with Kelly and Ryan after six seasons—and his replacement was confirmed to be someone already very familiar with the actress: her husband Mark.

Shortly after Kelly and Ryan revealed news of the American Idol emcee's departure, she also joked about the new "phase" her husband was now bound to after 26 years of marriage.

"OK NOW we're empty nesters," Kelly—who shares three kids with Mark—captioned a Feb. 16 Instagram photo of herself, Mark and Ryan. "When your friends become work mates become family. Congratulations @ryanseacrest on surviving six winters in NYC! I'm proud of you and am forever in your corner. And @instasuelos welcome home, or to the contractual obligation phase of our relationship."

But jokes aside, Ryan noted that there couldn't be a better fit than Mark as Kelly's new co-host.

It's been a memorable ride," he said in a statement, "and now I'm excited to pass the baton to Kelly's ‘real' husband, Mark."

As for the Riverdale alum, he had quips of his own about his new gig.

"Congrats on your next chapter @ryanseacrest," he wrote in a Feb. 16 Instagram post. "I love you like a brother. I know I have some big shoes to fill … well actually they're only a size 9, but you know what I mean. @kellyripa my ride or die. This is going to be amazing! I can't believe after all these years of listening to you talk for free, I found a way to get paid for it."

And viewers won't have to wait too long to hear even more from the actor—as he is set to make an appearance on the morning show Feb. 17. Ahead of his official welcome, read on for a reminder of the couple's cutest moments together.

Happy Birthday Kelly

 

Rehearsal footage of Rihanna's backup dancers practicing for the Super Bowl is going viral on TikTok

Choreographer and viral dance star Parris Goebel is once again racking up views on social media with the rehearsal footage for Rihanna's Super Bowl halftime show.

New Zealand dancer Goebel broke into the American mainstream with her choreography in Justin Bieber's 2015 "Sorry" music video. Eight years later, she was one of the creative minds behind the choreography in Rihanna's halftime show this past weekend.

Goebel shared a minute-long peek at the rehearsals in a TikTok video uploaded Monday morning. By Tuesday afternoon, the clip had been viewed over 14 million times and had 2.8 million likes. 

"Of course they got the royal family dance crew," one top comment on the TikTok post said.

This how Rihanna was suppose to perform this," another top comment read. "Parris killing that!!"

"I literally knew it was Parris behind this masterpiece," a comment with more than 59,000 likes says. 

The video was shared to @RoyalFamilyVids, an account dedicated to the dance crew Goebel has worked with for many years. Her choreography work with Royal Family has a recognizable style, often including minutely synchronized group numbers exactly like the kind seen during the Super Bowl performance.

You can see Goebel performing with the Royal Family Dance Crew in this YouTube video from a 2015 World of Dance competition. That performance, which itself has 231 million views, opens with a remix of Rihanna's "Bitch Better Have My Money." Eight years later on Super Bowl Sunday, it was one of the songs performed during the halftime show.

This wasn't Goebel's first Super Bowl experience — she was also one of the choreographers behind Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's 2020 halftime show.

On her Instagram story, Goebel shared a message of gratitude for the support her dad showed her as a child. 

Neither of us knew that 14yrs later I would be doing the Super Bowl for the very artist I was making up moves to in the back of his warehouse," Goebel wrote.