Celebrity chef brings film crew to Hilton Head, Daufuskie islands for new TV show

Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone has been spotted at several local restaurants this week.

Stone was filming for the Food Network at Black Marlin Bayside Grill and Skull Creek Boathouse on Hilton Head Island, and Marshside Mama's Cafe on Daufuskie Island, sources confirmed.

The restaurants will be featured on a new Food Network show called "Beach Eats" that will debut this summer. On the show, Stone travels to "paradise locations to track down culinary treasures and hidden gems known for legendary dishes in the region," according to an article by entertainment news source, Variety.

When the show's producers contacted Black Marlin Bayside Grill last week, executive chef Chris Carge thought it was a prank call at first.

But a few days later, Stone and his film crew showed up, Carge said.

"They picked a handful of our menu items, and I did a cooking demo. Then I cooked with Curtis and showed him how we use some of the local ingredients. We also went behind the bar and did a few specialty cocktails," he said.

Filming went on from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. By dinnertime, word had gotten out, and a huge crowd showed up, Carge said.

"Everyone really enjoyed it. (Curtis) is really down to earth."

Stone was filming at Skull Creek Boathouse on Monday and Marshside Mama's on Thursday.

Beth Shipman, owner of Marshside Mama's, said she was surprised to get a call from the show's producers. But once they were there, "we had the greatest time," she said.

The episode will air between mid-August and September, Carge said.

Reach reporter Erin Shaw on Twitter at twitter.com/ipbg_erinshaw.

This story was originally published June 5, 2015 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Celebrity chef brings film crew to Hilton Head, Daufuskie islands for new TV show."