Get your autograph books and cameras out, ladies. Bobby Flay and the Food Network will be in San Diego for the weekend of March 18 and 19 filming a segment of “FoodNation” in our food-hip city.

“FoodNation,” which showcases local cuisine in a different city each episode, will begin its visit here with breakfast at my favorite place, Café 222. As co-host, I will then introduce viewers to some of San Diego’s favorite fooderies. An April or May air date for the 30-minute program is anticipated; I’ll fill you in on the details later.

Chef Flay and I will visit Chesapeake Fish Co. on Downtown’s waterfront where we will learn from owner Nick Citalich how fresh fish is handled. We will follow some fresh-off-the-boat catch to George's at the Cove where executive chef Trey Forshee will host an outdoor seafood barbecue and demonstrate how to prepare the fish with complementary side dishes. A visit with Ralph Rubio, founder of Rubio's Restaurants and its famous fish tacos, is on the agenda.

A day in San Diego would not be complete without an evening of food and music in the Gaslamp Quarter. Ingrid Croce of Croce's Restaurant will prepare a seafood item from the restaurant's menu and treat us to some music — and I hope a cocktail — in the jazz lounge.

This is a great opportunity for San Diego’s cuisine scene to get some national notice. The producers are sure to have an earache by the time their planes take off as I, for one, will be talking my head off about all the other great cafes and restaurants they need to know about in San Diego County. They'll be back.

***

Big City Chefs, a new food service company in town, is out to make staying home almost like an evening out. The company sends professionally trained chefs into the kitchens of busy executives, professional athletes, those with special dietary needs and just plain ol' folk who deserve a break and want a little pampering. The brainchild of two college buddies from Berkeley, David Fischbein and Tom Stiebner, Big City Chefs plans on taking the concept nationwide once the San Diego operation is well under way.

Here's how it works; qualified chefs with either cooking school or three years' professional experience are interviewed, accepted and insured by Big City. They are outfitted with business cards, food containers, labels and access to the Big City Web site which will be interactive so that chefs can manage their clients and accounts online. They are then matched with clients, who also have been prequalified by Big City.

Cooking preferences, location and client load factor into the pairings. Clients can choose from menu selections predesigned by the chef or create their own. The chef will do all the shopping and then use his or her own equipment to cook dishes for anything from an evening dinner party to enough freezable entrées for two weeks.

The best part is that when all the cooking is done, the chef does all the dishes and promises to leave the kitchen spotless. For more information, call (866) 321-CHEF or click on www.bigcitychefs.com.

***

Ron Zappardino is showing off the beautiful renovations at his Top O' the Cove restaurant. The refurbishment not only entailed interior sprucing but also a new garden entrance, awnings and new signage. Zappardino bought the La Jolla restaurant, located at 1216 Prospect St., in 1985 after leaving Downtown where his Frenchy Marseilles was among the center city's hottest eateries, a place to eat and be seen. The La Jolla beachside bungalow was built in 1893 and was converted into the Top O' the Cove restaurant in 1952.

***

Down the street at George's, John Gayer has made himself at home as pastry chef. I had a wonderful lunch there last month and the meal was finished off with absolutely the best carrot cake I’ve ever had. And I am a huge carrot cake fan. It was called a “Chino's Carrot Cake” because the carrots came from Chino's farm in Rancho Santa Fe, where chef Forshee picks out the produce daily. It was seasoned with just a whisper of, believe it or not, curry, and topped with a light, sweet buttercream frosting, marinated shredded carrot and orange peel and a mint sprig. Gayer took over for Todd Davies, who went to Palm Desert and opened Pacifica in the Desert with proprietor Kipp Downing.

***

Speaking of Pacifica in the Desert, my sand mole informs me that the not-even-a-month-old restaurant is already turning away customers. This offshoot of Pacifica Del Mar restaurant at Del Mar Plaza was designed by locals David Robinson and company. It is located in the Paseo Shopping Center in Palm Desert. And to think Downing just wanted an excuse to be in the desert all winter. Now it looks like he’ll be trading his golf clubs for a few bus tubs.

***

Hey, for those who always ask me if I know where Laurie Woodside is, I finally do. After a couple of years on the East Coast, she has returned to San Diego and in February she took the position of g.m. for the Aqua Blu restaurant. Located at 734 Fifth Ave. in the Gaslamp Quarter, Aqua Blu features seafood with a Pacific Rim/Asian influence. Laurie is a bit of an icon for those of us in the business as she was one of the first to own and operate a restaurant in the Gaslamp. Aptly named 515 — it was located at 515 Fifth Ave. — it had fabulously delicious food and had a wonderful local following. Give her a visit at Blu.

***

Brooke Baumkirchner has been named manager of the meeting connection program at the Hyatt Regency San Diego. Meeting connection is a new program designed to serve meetings with less than 150 guests. Prior to the Hyatt, Baumkirchner was with the La Costa Resort and Spa.

Also at the Hyatt, Karen Sullivan has been promoted to associate director of sales and given responsibility for national accounts. Before coming to San Diego, Sullivan worked as the area director for sales and marketing in Las Vegas for Marriott Hotels.

***

Fernando Lara is the new g.m. at Sally's replacing Barbara Roth. Lara, with more than 20 years in the restaurant business, was promoted to the position after working for two years as assistant manager. Prior to his work with the Hyatt he was with The Remington Room in Boston.

***

Bo Landress has joined Hotel Marketing Group as v.p. Landress was director of sales at San Diego Paradise Point Resort for four and a half years.

Carlos Roca of La Jolla has been promoted to head golf teaching professional at Meadow Lake Golf Course. He replaces Brad Van Horn who is now head golf teaching professional at Castle Creek Golf Course.

Jim Davis has been named director of sales and marketing at Quality Resort in Mission Valley. Prior to joining the resort, Davis was at the Best Western Hacienda Hotel in Old Town.

***

Not only is Karl Strauss Brewery celebrating its 12th anniversary, it also is celebrating being the featured microbrewery at Disney's California Adventure theme park which opened next door to Disneyland last month. The local brewery was selected by Disney over all other microbreweries in the country. What an honor and compliment for San Diego’s original local beer.

I spoke to founding partners and Stanford business school buddies, Matthew Rattner and Chris Cramer shortly after they returned from the three-day opening festivities. Cramer says it is quite an honor and a thrill to be showcased as a California success story along with companies such as Robert Mondavi Wines, Boudin Bakery and Mission Foods Tortilla Factory. While also excited about showcasing the suds, Rattner was visibly disappointed about the absence of Minnie Mouse, his favorite Disney character, at the gala.

***

Ladies, let's lay off the carbs, book the sitter and start shopping for that sparkly dress. Yes, it’s that time of year again, the Golden Medallion Awards sponsored by the California Restaurant Association are approaching. The awards dinner and auction will be held April 24 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. Official nomination forms in 23 categories have been mailed to members. Tickets are $95 per person, or $950 for a table of 10. For more info, call (619) 230-0763.

Sharpen up those No. 2 pencils. I hope to see you at the shrimp table.

Terryl Gavre spends her entire day thinking about what she is going to eat for dinner. She believes the world would be a better place if everyone worked once as a foodserver. She is owner of Café 222, Downtown, and can be reached at food@san.rr.com.