The Enemy of Average! Wild Surfwear- USA Made / Carson Crunch

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart             
Wacky Wings– Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
Rating- 9/10 

How’s it going there bud! I’m in Canada don’t ya know! I spent the last couple of days in Sault Ste Marie for MLK weekend, and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint! This is my second year coming here with Snowboard Club at the University of Michigan! The small town is located just on the other side of the boarder, all the way up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After our first day of skiing / snowboarding, we knew that we had to stop by the all around good time place, Wacky Wings!! Let’s take a look at what they have to offer!

 

Here I am rocking the En Fuego tee! Who knew I would be perfectly matching the color scheme of this restaurant! It was meant to be!!!

 

The interior decoration is very fun! A bit cluttered and tacky, but all for the purpose of having a great time! You can’t come here and be bummed out.

 

Of course they have to have a sit down bar! What kind of wings place wouldn’t?

The wooden cabin-style interior works great with the theme. Peep the “washroom” sign!

 

Heading down to the washroom we see come chickens chillin down by lake. (I’m not sure how old this chicken is but the drinking age in Canada is only 19)

Alright, time to get to the food! I felt obligated to get wings while I was at Wacky Wings, so I immediately flipped to the last page. This menu is very similar to Buffalo Wild Wings (idk if that’s more of a Midwest restaurant or not) but the layout of their wings menu is very much the same. Hundreds of sauce options to fit every persons needs. Just don’t get lost in the sauce!

I’m more of a sweet sauce kinda guy myself, so I went for the honey bbq! I threw in some potato wedges because I was feelin good. I was extremely hungry so this meal hit the spot.

 

My friend Ryan and I finishing up our fries!

 

That's a wrap! From left to right we have Ryan, Nico, Andy, Kevin, and Ty! Overall I was very pleased with the meal! Like I said earlier you can’t come here and not have a good time! I would consider the food here comfort food, which is exactly what we needed after a long day on the slopes. The prices won’t break your bank, but not necessarily a steal either. The customer service was great, not to mention our waitress was a total smokeshow. Man, I love Canada. Anyways, I give this place a 9/10. I’ll see you all next time eh!!

 

Bonus photo after our last run on the mountain! Yew!!

By Carson Hart

 

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart 
The Corner– Boulder, Colorado
Rating- 9/10 

 

Hey guys!! This last weekend I had fall break, which means no class Monday or Tuesday! Which also means that I got to visit my friend Miles Kluth at Boulder for the weekend!! I ate at a ton of great places this trip, including Rincon, Deli Zone, Blackjack Pizza, and The Sink! Those places were great, but the blog this week takes place at the equally amazing corner restaurant; The Corner!! Located on 13^th Street and College Ave, this place is in prime location for busy college kids who need a place to grab a bite! Read more for all the juicy details!!

 

Here I am standing on the corner of The Corner! I wonder how they came up with the name?

 

Here’s the inside! The clean and modern design works well with it’s aesthetic. I’m a big fan of natural lighting, and all these windows allow for plenty of that!

 

Here I am ordering myself a cheeseburger!! The waitress was very nice and the customer service was minimal but pleasing.

 

Sorry it’s a little hard to read but here is the menu! Food selection mostly consists of sandwiches and salads, but there are still plenty of other choices! The prices definitely aren’t cheap, but still reasonable. I would classify this as a “fine dining casual grub at a modest price”.

 

Here is Miles sitting out our outdoor table! It was too nice of a day to sit inside!

 

I mean, look at this! 77 and sunny! It feels like SoCal!!

 

They use something called a “PagerTec”, which basically tells us when our food is ready! So high-tech.

 

DING DING DING! The alarm is off and the food is served! I got a cheeseburger with a salad.

 

Here I am getting super hyped up to take my first bite! I was super hungry!

 

And we’re done! Overall I was very pleased with the meal. The workers were friendly, we got served quickly, and the food tasted great! Like I said earlier the price wasn’t too bad (I think like $12.50 for my burger and salad?) They had some 90s grunge music playing in the background, which I enjoyed as I sat outside taking in the nice sunlight. The location is great as well! Overall I give it a 9/10! I hope you enjoyed this blog, I’ll see you all next time!!

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart 

George’s Mexican Food– Huntington Beach, California
Rating- 9/10 

Happy Summer Everyone!! After a fun day of shooting some surf at Golden West, Zach Lyons made the executive decision to take a quick stop at George’s Mexican Food! Who wouldn’t want a burrito after surf? It’s a no-brainer!!

 

I love the sign! I can tell just by looking that this place is the OG! Here is team rider, Zach Lyons welcoming me into his local grub.

 

Making my order at the front!

 

I really like the different uses of bright colors! I’ve never had so much fun reading the menu!!

 

Here’s a close up of some of the options. The food all looked so good, and for an extremely reasonable price!

 

The architecture in the building is very unique. Here’s a view of the arch from both sides. Cool!

 

Zach eating the egg burrito with shredded beef!

 

Here I am taking the first glorious bite of my breakfast burrito!! It was very good! I wish the burrito had a little more variety but it was still tasty! Like I said earlier the prices were cheap, just how I like it. The customer service was good and the food was quick. Oh yeah, and they also have a drive-thru! So if you’re ever in the area, I would recommend this place over any other fast food chain. Support local business!! I give this palce a 9/10! Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in a few weeks!

 

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart 
Jalama Burger – Jalama, California
Rating- 9/10 

The next review takes place at this sweet spot called Jalama! It’s located in more central California, where the waves are rad, the sun is out, and the wind is very present! My friends Graham Amato and Ben Hara decided this would be a fun place to surf as we head up to Big Sur, and heard the food here was amazing! We just had to try it out for ourselves!

 

Here I am outside of the store. Low-key on the outside but totally rad on the inside!

 

Ordering food at the front! This place has everything! It’s half burger shack, half general store!

 

The walls (and ceiling) are fully stocked!

 

Such a sweet spot to eat and the location is even better! You can’t beat it!

 

Ben on the left and Graham on the right. So excited!

 

*insert heart face emojis here*

 

Overall I was fully satisfied with this meal! It’s hard to beat a delicious burger on a road trip with friends after some fun surf. The prices were standard and the quality of the burger was great. It was fast service and the workers were very welcoming. Obviously it’s a great location too! You have to pay to access the beach (I think $10) but when split among friends it isn’t bad, especially when you throw in some surf and burgers. Thanks for reading this weeks blog, see you guys later!!

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart 
Four Daughter’s Kitchen – Manhattan Beach, California
Rating- 8/10 

Hey guys! It’s so nice to finally be home! Today my friend Keala is joining me for some tasty brunch at this restaurant called the “Four Daughter’s Kitchen”! Located in northern Manhattan Beach, just off of Highland, the location is great! It may be a little difficult to find parking, but a little walk doesn’t seem to bother me when you’re in Southern California! Keep reading for a greater insight in our munch excursion!

 

Here I am standing out in front of the eatery! Not a big fan of the text on the window, but I do like the vibrant blue and red that decorates the whole building!

 

Here’s the inside! Nothing too special in here, but not terrible!

 

A little glance at the menu! I would say they have a good selection with fairly standard prices. 

 

Keala excited to eat her tofu curry omelette! We decided to eat outside because fresh air is always nice!

 

Here I am with the “Longboard Burrito”! Consisting of three eggs, chorizo blend, diced onions, peppers, jack cheese, avocado, and salsa!

 

Here’s a close-up!

 

I like the sign they have on the side of the building!

 

And you can’t complain about the location! A minute walk from the soft sand!

 

Overall, solid place to eat! Can sometimes be tough to find parking when located just off of busy Highland, but besides that it’s a great location and very close to the beach! The overall interior is alright, but like stated earlier I do like the exterior colors! The food was very good, and the prices were fairly standard compared to other restaurants nearby. The service fast and responsive, so I give them an overall 8/10! Thanks for checking in and I’ll see you all in another two weeks.

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart 
Tropical Smoothie Cafe – Ann Arbor, MI
Rating- 8/10 

Happy Friday everyone! Sorry for my lack of presence on these blogs, school has been hectic but hopefully these smoothies will cool me off! Located just off of State Street, the location is prime for any hungry college student looking for a quick bite in between classes. Come check out what my friend Julia and I order this beautiful spring day!

 

 

Here I am rocking out in front of the café! I’m not too sure about the design of it so far. Don’t get me wrong,  I love tropical themed, but the stone and brick building doesn’t seem to work well with the laid-back beachy hangout.

 

 

Stepping inside I must say I do love all the bright colors! It makes it fun to go inside and eat! (t-shirt is the “Living Room Camp Out”)

 

 

Oh snap! What is this? It’s the Avocolada, that’s what it is!! Julia has ordered it before, who would have thought an avocado smoothie would be that good!? What am I saying, of course it would be.

 

 

Here’s another pic of the building to show you as we wait our food (which really didn’t take that long).

 

 

Can’t hate on a nice beach house painting!

 

 

The food! It’s arrived! We both decided to order the chipotle chicken club flatbread. My smoothie was the Sunrise Sunset, and hers was the Island Green Smoothie (she got the Avocolada a different time). I have to say, this was the best part!! Which is a good thing, considering we came here to eat. Everything was delicious!

 

 

Julia excited for her lunch!

 

 

It was so good that I came back for more!! This time I ordered the Cali Chicken Flatbread, which was just a tasty!

 

 

Overall, I’m glad I went! I appreciate the effort to transform a small place into a nice little beach themed hangout. The food was delicious, the prices were fair ($5 for a smoothie with a dollar off if you get any food item), there was some music going on in the background (which is crucial), and there were no problems with customer service! Like I was saying at the beginning, it may not be some kind of OG surf shack, but they’re trying! Stay tuned for the Monthly Crunch!! See ya guys soon!

 

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
Farmer’s Market – Hermosa Beach, CA
Rating- 9/10

Look out, it’s #ThrowbackThursday!!! Let me take you back to a sunny Friday afternoon in the one and only Hermosa Beach! Before I start let me just say how great the location is. It’s located directly along the historic Clark Field, where most little kids growing up in Hermosa spent the majority or his or her childhood in. Every Friday we would get out of school and walk down Valley Drive to grab some grub and play around! Enjoy my walk down memory lane!!



Yum! Look at all that delicious fruit! I love how open the whole market is. I can feel the cool ocean breeze as I type!

Always love those free samples on the left!

Peachy!

This was my favorite afternoon lunch growing up! $5 Hawaiian Chicken Bowl hit the spot every time. Oh the memories!!

It’s crunch time!!

The bowl in all its glory. Of course you need the sweet barbeque sauce and pineapples. There are plenty of other things to eat such as hot dogs, pastries, organic treats, crepes, and more!

Can’t pass up those cinnamon rolls for only $1.50!

My brother Bridger ordering the classic Kettle Korn! Also rocking the classic Blaster Cap!

Normally it is much more crowded, but since it is summer there isn’t a mass stampede of middle schoolers raiding the food after a long week of school. Although smaller than most farmers markets, it sure has character! Well that wraps it up!! Thanks for checking out this months #ThrowbackThursday edition of the Monthly CRUNCH!!!

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
Angelo’s – Ann Arbor, MI
Rating- 9/10

What’s up everybody! Happy New Years!! This month’s restaurant review starts the year off right with some delicious breakfast food at the one and only Angelo’s, founded in 1956! My friend Andrew and I came back to school a day early so we decided to grab some grub! Stay tuned to the end for some tunes!!

Simple exterior but still nice!



Classic looking diner inspired interior with the always-necessary checkered tiles!



Look at all those students! So college!



Andrew stoked for our food! We got off the plane late last night so we are very hungry.

Yess! Finally! Pancakes! Eggs! Ham! Bacon! Toast! Food!



One happy Carson! I ordered the classic breakfast combo.



That was fast! If there was an eating contest, Andrew had won. In terms of the cost, I would say it is very affordable! Despite being packed with hungry college students, our waitress was still on top of things. Good location, a welcoming interior, and of course delicious food! I give it a 9!

Now for one last thing! I did a little research and found this great song titled Angelo’s (named after the restaurant of course), performed by Dick Siegel. Don’t listen to it too much or you might get a little hungry!

Enjoy, and see you guys next month! https://open.spotify.com/track/27nsy8Ai3XCeIXVxQgfUPN

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart 
Casa Playa Colorados – Colorados, Nicaragua
Rating- 9.5/10 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Due to unusual circumstances, this months review takes place in Central America! Step away from the traditional Thanksgiving dinner and take a look at what we ate this fine Thursday —Nicaragua style!!

Here’s the table set-up. You can’t beat the view! And the waves are always firing!

From left to right: Tracy (mom), Finnley (brother), Graham, Bridger (brother), Faye, Kelly, Nancy, Don, Jen, Dan (dad), and me!



Fresh dorado is not the usual turkey! We also have some tasty dried plantains and steak.



The salads are a little different here. Less lettuce and more fruits / vegetables! (Avocado is always a nice touch)

On the left is my plate! Everything was amazing! On the right is Bridger smiling because he is holding a delicious glass of freshly squeezed guava juice.



My brother Finn and I happy to finally eat after a very long day of fishing and surfing!!

Overall, great meal! I was surrounded by my amazing family and friends, and couldn’t be happier! The chef is very talented, and has been cooking our meals since we got here. The only reason this got a 9.5 instead of 10 is because I miss pumpkin pie. Anyways, enjoy this photo of tonight’s beautiful sunset and I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving! Adiós!!

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
Belly Deli – Ann Arbor, MI
Rating- 6.5/10

Yo what’s up! At my second food review in Ann Arbor, my friend Oliver and I take you all to the Belly Deli (not to be confused with a previous review at Billy’s Deli)! From the name alone, I expected a place that looked a little more fun. Due to the overall greyness of this place, I added some fun borders to relieve the stress!


Nice modern look from the outside. Nothing too fancy.


Here’s the menu! To be honest, that orange was the brightest thing I saw in there. Anyways, not too large of a menu. Prices weren’t too low or too high, they seemed about right. I do like how they include tax with the prices!


I decided on the Cheese Steak Sammy, which was actually delicious (I also like how they spelled “cheese” on the menu in the previous picture).


Oliver crunching on the Spicy Pork Sammy!


Almost done eating!


I also noticed that a large crowd came in all of the sudden, so it seems that people do enjoy the food here!


Don’t be mislead by the stars, smiles, and thumbs up. I’m just happy! As a final look on the deli, I probably will not find myself going there again. The food was tasty, and the service was extremely fast, but the aesthetic of where I go to eat is very important to me. Grey has its place, but only when used strategically. I didn’t feel like there was any character in the deli, and it seemed almost jail-like in it’s presence. Overall I give it a 6.5/10. Thanks and stay tuned for the next Monthly Crunch! Peace!

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
University of Michigan East Quad Dining Hall – Ann Arbor, MI
Rating- 9/10

What’s up shredders!! In case you didn’t know, I recently moved out to University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan) to start my life as a college student (art major of course)! Yes, I know this isn’t the beach, but hey maybe I can surf the lake?? To start out the new Monthly Crunch, my friends Arielle, Meg and I thought it would be fun to begin with one of our dining halls! Although this isn’t the one closest to my housing, it’s still awesome!

Candid photo of me in front of the entrance!

As you can see this is no ordinary dining hall!! And to be honest, this isn’t even the best one! Not only is it super hip looking, but the food choices are near endless (more detail on that soon)!

Grabbing a slice of meatball pizza and some cheesy bread. Yum!

Here is just the start of our food. We have some pasta, mashed potatoes, broccoli, pizza, and kun pao chicken! I know this doesn’t seem like a lot, but don’t worry. I also went back to get a salad, half a bagel, and of course some chocolate cake with milk.

There are so many choices that it can be overwhelming at times. They change up the courses each meal so no one ever gets bored. Except for the always-open cereal bar. I can’t complain on that. They even have a section just for vegetarians, so if that’s your thing, then this is the dining hall for you!

My friend Meg and I getting super stoked off this salad I made! Their salad bar has enough options to let your creativity run wild!

We’re stuffed! It’s sort of impossible for me to walk away from these places feeling hungry. I should probably chill out on all the eating here. Overall, the dining hall is great, and I give it a 9/10! Even if you aren’t hungry, it’s still a cool place to kick it with your friends between classes. The actual design of the complex is very impressive, and like I said before, the amount of food to choose from is incredible. As for the price, just look at the meal plan. But college is expensive, so what do you expect? I’m allowed unlimited entrees in here, so I’m happy!

Thanks so much for checking out this month’s inaugural Monthly Crunch in Michigan! Follow my food Instagram @CARSONHARTCRUNCH for more daily updates on the meals I eat! See ya later skater!!

 

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
Wanna Chill? – Redondo Beach, CA
Rating- 9/10

Hello and welcome back to the Bi-Monthly Crunch! Like the last restaurant, this one is inspired by the tropical islands of Hawaii! However, unlike the barbeque, this little shop specializes in ice cream and smoothies, but are more commonly known for their shave ice! They are located in the King Harbor Plaza, just off PCH in Redondo Beach.

Lots of colors! Here I am ordering my shave ice, with vanilla ice cream on the bottom of course. Here’s a good tip: go to Wanna Chill on a Wednesday and get ANY SIZE shave ice for only $2! And added ice cream is only $.075 more! The prices are fair already, but this deal is hard to pass up.

My friend Ben Manclark checking out their list of flavors… it can be quite intimidating!!

Crunch time! I wore this shirt because it reminded me of shave ice! I chose banana and watermelon for my flavors, Ben chose the sour patch combo!

Every time you go, they’ll stamp your card for a free shave ice. As you can see I have been there quite a few times (On Wednesday of course)! Although I may be redundant, these tasty treats are perfect for a hot summer day! The prices are fair, and the service is great. They don’t mind at all if you go back to ask for extra syrup. The location isn’t the most aesthetic, however it is convenient for anyone who likes to take a cruise down PCH. Overall, I give the place a 9/10. Thanks for checking up on this weeks Bi-Monthly CRUNCH! See ya next week!

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
L & L Hawaiian Barbecue – Redondo Beach, CA
Rating- 8/10

Aloha! This weeks Bi-Monthly Crunch takes place at the L & L Hawaiian Barbecue restaurant, located in the midst of Redondo Beach’s one and only Riviera Village! The location is really charming, sporting many smaller local businesses. One of my favorite details of this area include the string lights that light up the streets at nighttime. Regardless of the many shops and restaurants, I didn’t find much trouble for parking, which was pleasant surprise.

Here I am placing my order at the front. Simple ordering, nothing fancy.

My good friend Ben Manclark about to chow down on his Katsu Chicken Bowl!

I ordered a Barbeque chicken plate, which also includes rice and macaroni salad. I was never given any sauce, so I had to go back to the front to grab some. The actual taste of the food was alright. And that response was coming from someone who hadn’t eaten all day. The rice and chicken seemed a little dry, but the salad was pretty good. I was, however, stoked on their selection of nectar drinks! They had everything, ranging from strawberry to peach, but I decided to go with my classic fave; guava!

Selfie break!

For some reason I liked this trash can. It was cool to see it say “Mahalo” instead of “Thank You”. I really liked the overall look of the interior of the restaurant. It was very true to it’s theme, but wasn’t overwhelming. The location was very relaxing, and the prices were fair, however the food was just decent. I give it an overall 8/10. Mahalo for stopping by this weeks Bi-Monthly Crunch!! See you in two weeks!

 

Restaurant Reviews by Carson Hart
Billy’s Deli – San Clemente, CA
Rating- 9.5/10