Chef Curtis Stone hosts “Beach Eats USA”

A day at the beach: it's one of the best ways to stay cool -- and to have a little fun -- in the late summer's heat.

Whether you're surfing or swimming, building sand castles or knocking them down, a day beside the water is the perfect prescription for August's incessant heat.

Of course, all of that fun in the sun is sure to work up an appetite, and that's where Chef Curtis Stone comes in. His native Australia boasts some of the best beaches and surfing on the planet, but this summer, he's checking out some of America's best beaches -- and the foods to be found there.

"Beach Eats USA," Chef Stone's newest outing with Food Network, premieres Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Over six episodes, the New York Times bestselling chef will be touring around the country to check out some of our best beach destinations. Wherever he ends up, he'll be dipping a toe in the water (at least a toe!) and checking out all of the fun activities that these beaches have to offer, whether that's paddle boarding, zip-lining or even grabbing a ride in a helicopter.

Of course, Stone is a chef -- and this is the Food Network -- so ultimately these not-so-lazy days at the beach are really all about the food. Some of America's most famous beaches also offer some of its tastiest food, and our handsome host's real mission here is to sink his teeth into whatever he can.

Some of the foods he'll be feasting on are beachside classics, with savory tacos and fresh, succulent crab definitely on the menu. Others, like paella -- a Spanish rice dish that's often considered that country's national dish -- will be cooked in the sand. How's that for a real surf and turf?

With goat cheese stuffed fried green tomatoes and so many other dishes to try, Chef Stone's days at the beach sound like enough to rouse even the laziest beach bum's appetite.

Chef Curtis Stone's "Beach Eats USA" premieres Wednesday, Aug. 12, on Food Network.