Hilton Head Monthly Magazine Voice of the Lowcountry 
Growing up in rural Georgia, Scott Pearch came to view cooking not just as a way to create a delicious dish, but as a vehicle for bringing families together.
“Wednesdays and Saturdays I would cook with my grandmother, and grandma always had a table full of food,” he said. “And my dad was one of those home chefs who has every type of cooking appliance you can imagine.”
Being Hilton Head Island’s downtown for more than 60 years doesn’t just mean that Coligny is the premier place to shop, explore and enjoy the island. It is, in fact, all of those things, but if there’s one thing that more than anything else makes this south end treasure a true downtown — it’s the dining.
Tucked in and among the shops you’ll find any number of welcoming eateries to please any palate, from fresh local seafood to upscale pub fare and plentiful options for a quick and easy lunch. Every bite is a new delight at Coligny Plaza, where your appetite for something fresh and delicious is never more than a few steps away from being satisfied.
Fun fact about Chef Chris Carge: as a kid, he was a child actor, with his biggest role coming in Steve Martin’s film Parenthood.
As for his role in the culinary arts, that started in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio at the 5-Diamond Columbus Athletic Club. He and his wife eventually made their home in Hilton Head, with Chris working at various Italian and seafood restaurants. He had always wanted to join the SERG family, which he finally did as the Executive Chef at Black Marlin. He then went to Poseidon, where he became a partner, and now he oversees four SERG restaurants, including the newly launched and much anticipated Nectar Farm Kitchen.
Chef Nick Unangst has spent nearly 40 years as a butcher and a chef. From St. Louis to Chicago — working at the legendary seafood restaurant Don’s Fish Market — to Hilton Head, where he became a partner after helping to open both Frankie Bones and Black Marlin.
Subsequently, he went on to help open WiseGuys, Skull Creek Boathouse, Poseidon, Dockside, and the soon-to-launch Nectar.
Chef Tim Nelson literally grew up in restaurants. He started washing dishes in his grandmother’s restaurant at just 12 years old.
A trade program in high school introduced him to cooking. He was hooked and told his dad that was what he wanted to do.
Fortunately for all of us, his dad told him to “do what makes you happy.”
For Chef Brad Blake it’s all about “thirst for knowledge.” He started in the business as a teenager and quickly rose through the ranks with a hunger for the “adrenalin rush of being on the line,” along with this quest to explore and learn.
“One of the beautiful things about this business is you get to explore and create things,” he said. “You get to be a scientist and an artist.”
In the 1980s, Tony Arcuri received a call from his former high school and college buddy, Steve Carb, wanting to know if he was up for coming to Hilton Head to help him run the pizza place he had opened called Giuseppi’s.
He told his old fraternity brother “yes,” and by 1988 they had three different Giuseppi’s locations. Tony took the reins, bringing in another former fraternity brother Jim Loniero. They both became partners in SERG and they’ve never looked back.
SERG Partner CULINARY OPERATIONS DIRECTOR
Even when Orchid Paulmeier was a little girl she went above and beyond. Take for example when she opened her own lemonade stand.
Chef Orchid didn’t stop just at lemonade; she also offered hot deli sandwiches! Granted they were microwaved American cheese and ham, but her entrepreneurial spirit was off and running.
Orchid is Filipino and learned to cook early on from her grandparents who lived with her growing up.
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE
At The French Bakery on Hilton Head Island, freshly baked, house-made, mouth-watering pastries, breads and desserts fill glass cases. Cinnamon rolls, chocolate-dipped madeleines and scones disappear in a flash.
The family-owned bakery recently celebrated its 20th anniversary because Marek Belka and his son Tomazs work hard to the delight of their customers. They recently expanded The French Bakery’s offerings — including the creation of more vegetarian items.
HAND CUT STEAKS & FRESH “CATCH” DAILY
Catch 22 opened in 2001 and is locally owned and operated by Gary and Penny Duren. They have created a comfortable culture for their customers and staff. A TripAdvisor reviewer said Catch 22 is a longtime favorite “because of the service and efficiency of the staff, including the owner who is always on hand.”
