TV's Restaurateur Wannabe

Sela Ward is eager to cook up a second career. The star of ABC's "Once and Again" (she plays the ex-wife of a not-so-successful restaurateur) has been calling TV chef Emeril Lagasse, trying to convince him to open a restaurant with her. "She was calling him on a regular basis," says a source close to the chef. "She wanted to open a place in her hometown of Meridian, Miss. He thinks she's great, but he's already got several restaurants and he's not sure he wants to do this."

Lagasse's spokesman didn't return calls; Ward's spokesman confirms that the two were in talks that will not pan out. __MSNBC.com (August 15, 2001)