‘Summer House’ Once Had to Promise Not to Turn Into ‘Jersey Shore’ to Film in Some Hamptons Restaurants
Summer House has become one of Bravo’s most popular reality shows since its premiere in 2017. It follows a group of friends who spend weekends together at a gorgeous home in the elite hotspot of Montauk in the Hamptons. But, in order to film in restaurants around town, they had to promise not to turn into Jersey Shore.
The original cast of ‘Summer House’ were friends before the show began
The original cast of Summer House back in season 1 were actually friends before they became Bravolebrities. Unlike the casts of other Bravo reality shows, they were not brought together by a casting director or executive producer. Instead, the network was looking to cast an existing friend group.
“I think that almost everybody – other than Carl [Radke] and I, who met at a party in New York and reacquainted with in Montauk — we all go back, especially some of the girls in the house, seven or eight years. Bravo was looking for an existing group of friends, and they found us through pretty serendipitous means,” Kyle Cooke said, per Fame10.
“I responded to a casting email for s–ts and giggles. I’ve been going up to Montauk for years … and as it turns out, the same producers were talking to the twins [Ashley and Lauren Wirkus] and one thing led to another and we were starting to round up our group of friends who we had already done houses with.”
The producers had to promise not to turn into ‘Jersey Shore’
Summer House is filled with plenty of drama and lots of drinking, and it doesn’t always stay inside the house. The cast frequents restaurants and bars in the hamlet, but that’s only because they made a promise when filming began.
It turns out not all of the Montauk locals were sold on the idea of filming a reality show in town because they were worried Summer House could become the next Jersey Shore. Some businesses refused to let the show film — including The Surf Lodge — so they had to go to Southampton at first to film in restaurants and nightclubs.
Bravo responded by telling local Montauk residents that Summer House would be “nothing like Jersey Shore.”
“We are so much above that. They let loose in a big, aspirational way that is exclusive to this high-end lifestyle,” the network insisted.
Where does the cast of ‘Summer House’ hang out in Montauk?
For fans who wish to catch a glimpse of the cast of Summer House in Montauk, there are a few places they’ve been known to frequent. The Surf Lodge allowed them in, as did Shagwong Tavern.
“Shagwong has The Incredible DJ Lonestar spinning incredible throwbacks. It’s a fun spot to let your hair down,” Cooke told Taste of Reality.
Harvest On Fort Pond is a favorite restaurant for dinner, according to Radke, and another is The Crow’s Nest.
“Harvest for dinner. It’s a really good restaurant,” Radke notes, with Cooke adding, “The ambiance at Crow’s Nest is amazing.”
Summer House airs Mondays on Bravo.
