Celebs do the restaurant biz

The health department might just as well start gearing up for a very busy summer of violations because those crazy kids over at VH1 have come up with a new show that is so egregious in its conception that its actual application could give innocent bystanders salmonella. If that opener isn’t enough to whet your appetite, tune into the premiere of “Famous Food” on Sunday, July 10.

This bit of craziness takes former reality darlings such as Heidi Montag (“The Hills”), Danielle Staub (“The Real Housewives of New Jersey”), Jake Pavelka (“The Bachelor”) and Ashley Dupre (former escort in the Eliot Spitzer scandal) along with others and puts them to work at a yet-to-be-opened Los Angeles restaurant. They’ll work with restaurateurs Mike Malin and Lonnie Moore of the famed Dolce Group and face all the challenges of creating a new hot spot, from conception and marketing to menu and staffing. At the end of the series, one contestant is chosen to become a full partner in the venture. Let’s hope their careers come full circle and we see them busing tables again full time very soon.

Of course, over the course of 10 episodes you know there’ll be personality conflicts and the occasional bout of food poisoning, but isn’t that what makes television worth watching? In fact, we can pretty much guarantee that no matter who wins, the menu items will be attractive but nutrient deficient. But hey, you didn’t really expect to get any new recipes from a food show on VH1, did you?

Other contestants include former “Sopranos” star Vincent Pastore and Three 6 Mafia members DJ Paul and Juicy J.