Washington's Joe Barnett dishes out a little Southern welcome for top Food Network Chef Bobby Flay, who came to challenge the master at his own dish. News- Washing ton's s hrim p king Joe Barnett knew we'd all been snookered Tuesday afternoon when famous TV Chef Bobby Flay strolled in and challenged him to a Georgia shrimp-and-grits cook-off right there and then. It was a Throwdown, and it was a surprise.

Barnett had been told for weeks that he was about to star in a Food Network special about cook-off kings, and the film crew had come from New York and Atlanta to shoot the program. They'd shot him at work at his custom drapery and in homes around town, and was just about to start filming the "main show" before a crowd of friends and neighbors at The Livery on Court Street.

Then the real reason for the production showed up. Chef Bobby Flay, nationally known star of Food Network's "Throwdown with Bobby Flay," was challenging Joe Barnett, master of the Georgia Wild Shrimp, Ne ws - to an unexp ected cookoff. "Somebody had said this sounds like a Bobby Flay set-up, but they went into such detail about this supposed show, I wasn't sure," Barnett said. "But when I saw Bobby Flay's grinning face, I knew they'd suckered this old man. But it was a hell of a lot of fun, and our little town came out looking okay."

Barnett recovered from his shock pretty quickly. "We'd been cooking since 9:30, so we were going to compete with what we'd already done in the kitchen," he said. "We" included son Bryan and wife Debbie, Pressley Blakey, and Charlie and Sandy LeGette.

With the cooking pretty much done, Barnett had time to talk a little smack to his challenger, the world-famous chef and restaurant owner from New York City. Always polite, Barnett complimented Flay on one of his recipes. "I like your Cactus Pear Margarita, Bobby," he said. "We're gonna make some for my victory party tonight."

"It took a lot of guts for a guy News- from New York to come down here and challenge a Southerner to cook grits," Barnett said. "He was pretty brave."

At least Flay knew to use only wild-caught sweet white Georgia shrimp, which are at their best right now, Barnett said. "Bobby Flay has Georgia wild shrimp shipped to his six restaurants in New York, LA, Las Vegas, Atlantic City and the Bahamas. He's a master - he knows there's nothing better than Georgia shrimp."

A big crowd of Washingtonians turned out for the filming, and even moreso when the secret got out. Vickie Wang had seen Bobby Flay buying yellow grits and other ingredients in Bi-Lo that morning. "He didn't have a bonus card, so I let him use mine. And I got a picture with him," she said.

The crowd also knew that there would be samples of both chefs' Georgia shrimp and grits dishes passed around, and many stuck with the production all afternoon. Nobody left hungry. "Folks from Washington really took care of us," Joe said. "You can count on people here to back you to the end."

Judges for the Throwdown included Washington Mayor Willie Burns and Augusta Chronicle Food Editor Karin Calloway. The winner of the Throwdown is supposed to be a secret until the show airs in early February, the producers say, and made everyone involved pinkieswear not to tell the results.

"I don't know how long that 'not telling' is going to last," he laughed. "You'll have to wait and check FoodNetwork.com for their February schedule to see when we'll be on Throwdown," Barnett said. "But it's not a good idea to bet on a New Yorker cooking grits against a Georgia boy."

Barnett admitted that Flay, a master chef known worldwide with five restaurants and four cooking shows, turned out to be a nice guy. "He's really warm, but with that New York edge. He's a super guy, but you could tell he's not from the South," he laughed.

Barnett said that during their visit, members of the crew from New York City were absolutely amazed at their taste of the real South. They visited the homes of Robert Griggs and Robert Aiken, and Skeet Willingham and Ginny King, and were overwhelmed by the gracious welcome they received everywhere they went.

"They said that this is an unbelievable place. They'd heard about the South, about the homes and the hospitality and the people, but they never thought they'd experience so much in two days. One cameraman, Peter, said this came at the perfect time. He said 'before I got here I was rushing like crazy, but now I feel like I have the Christmas spirit.' People in town were so nice it put them all in the Christmas spirit."