Self-Avowed Metrosexual Ryan Scott Accepts a Mission-ary Position

Yes, possums, the moratorium is over, and to celebrate, we've news that Ryan Scott finally has a job. After leaving his previous position, at San Francisco's Myth Café, Ryan told our pals at YumSugar:

I've been able to get my business license together, and I'm working actively with my business partners. We've been together 18 months and we put two offers yesterday on two different restaurants. It just doesn't happen that easily. Any restauranteur knows you can't just do that. We want longevity. I want the next move to be a really good move and we'll hold out until we can be the next Nopa or Zuni Cafe. I want to be open forever, the kind of restaurant where you can come back to all the time.

So what is he doing?

Well, possums, he is going to another café:

Ryan Scott…will officially take over as top chef-partner at the Mission Beach Cafe in San Francisco's Mission District on June 23….Until now, the restaurant's savory selection was a collaborative effort by the staff. But Scott says he plans to completely overhaul the menu and "put my stamp on it."
"I want the food to be simple and clean," says Scott, who wants to keep entree prices under $21.
"I'm not trying to break culinary boundaries," continued the chef, who is playing with menu ideas like veal cheeks, sweetbreads, pastas and "really clean soups and salads."

Well, so much for holding out until he could be the next Nopa or Zuni Café. Still, we're relieved to hear about the really clean soups and salads. If there's anything we and the Health Department hate, it's dirt in our soup.

Variety Shows Are the Spice of Padma Lakshmi’s Life

Here for your delectation, possums, please find two clips of Domenica In, the Italian variety show for which, once upon a time, Padma Lakshmi served as co-host. We especially love the first one, in which she appears at the head of a white piano and manages to answer the phone, sing, and dance--all at the same time! After that, Top Chef must seem like a breeze. One question, though: why isn't she ever this animated on American soil? What could possibly keep her so mellow and calm?

The 12 Days of Bitchmas -- Day Eight: Ryan Scott Tosses Salad; Can a Spurt of Ranch Dressing Be Far Behind?, or Special Sauce, Lettuce, Cheesy Smile

Oh possums, honi soit qui mal y pense.

"Brings a whole new meaning to Hidden Valley Ranch," said Miss XaXa, but of course that's not what we meant. We were referring only to Ryan's Bravo video interview, during which he says, "My favorite junk food would have to be ranch dressing."

"Brings a whole new meaning to junk food," purred Miss XaXa.

(Sorry about that, possums. Once she gets started, she turns into Barbara Standbackwyck in Double Entendrety and it's hard to stop her.)

At any rate, Ryan confesses during his video to his fondness for putting ranch dressing on pizza, which may well be a clue to his choice of topping--

"Don't even think it," we hastened to interrupt Miss XaXa.

--during the Quickfire Challenge on the show's premiere episode, which consists of a Pizzeria Uno-sponsored throwdown for deep-dish pizza.

"Special sauce, lettuce and cheesy smile aside, he probably has very nice sesame-seed buns," concluded Miss XaXa with a sigh.