Boston Nut Roasters

Who doesn’t like warm nuts in their mouth?
This was probably the best thing I had in Boston. Great nuts!
I decided to do the touristy thing and take one of the walking tours along the Freedom Trail. Boston Nut Roasters was one of the stops on the walking tour.
They have cashews, almonds and peanuts — I opted for the mixed bag for $ 5. The bag is super tiny and it was mostly peanuts… booo! It was good but I think I should have just gone for a bag of almonds, oh well, next time.

Let me tell you a little story about Boston Nut Roasters.
They have carts around downtown that, as a rule have very delicious nuts. Some might call them «the best nuts in town.»
Truthfully though, I’m not terribly interested in most of the carts. I’m only interested in one. The one at State and Devonshire. That one’s Dino’s cart.
Dino the nut roaster is not just a nut roaster. He is a staple of downtown. His character is impossible not to like. His pride in product is awe inspiring. His penchant of catch phrases (my favorite is «if you’ve got the munchies, I’ve got the crunchies!) leaves me laughing every time.
In my 10 years working downtown, Dino the nut roaster has been hawking nuts (and now pretzels and hotdogs) pretty much the whole time. As he does it, he greets new visitors as if he’d been commissioned by the city to do so, and remembers the names and faces of his regulars with such efficiency that it’s hard to stop there even on a rainy Tuesday and get your crunchies without seeing him enthusiastically wish well to a dozen friends.
Dino’s product is great (I recommend the roasted cashews), but honestly, it’s roasted nuts. The level of quality is good, Roasted nuts aren’t what makes me come back time and again. It is the service from the best possible retailer that gets me. So when I want a snack, I’m forced to go back.

As you may have heard, my brother has an abnormally large head and an unnatural love for peanuts. It doesn’t matter if it’s peanut butter, peanut brittle, peanut fudge, peanut sauce, or peanut oil… if it contains even a trace of peanuts, he’ll consume it without hesitation. We usually allow him this one indulgence, but one fateful day, this lusty legume nearly cost him his life. No, we’re not talking about an allergic reaction. Rather, something far more dangerous (and nearly traumatic) occurred.
Family members were visiting me, and since it was a lovely Saturday, we decided to do the various touristy things that most Bostonians deplore. We were walking along the Freedom Trail, adjacent to Quincy Market, when suddenly my brother stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes rolled back in his head, his foot began to tap the brick sidewalk in rapid tempo, and his nostrils flared as he inhaled impossible volumes of air. Though I had witnessed this behavior as a child, typically when my mother baked peanut butter cookies, I was unprepared for what happened next. My brother bolted across Congress Street, through multiple lanes of moving traffic, darting and weaving around passing vehicles with a precision that seemed unfeasible. Like a prized hound dog, he had picked up a scent, and his nose was carrying him to the source.
We tried our best to keep pace with him, but his strength of mind tapped a physical reservoir within himself that we simply couldn’t match. We finally found him at 15 State Street, near the Old State House. His schnoz led him approximately three blocks to the Boston Nut Roasters, and there he stood, awaiting his treat. It wouldn’t be right to reprimand him for acting upon such a primal impulse, so we gave him a friendly «attaboy» and a playful pat on the head, then tossed the gentleman working the food cart $ 2 for a bag of their honey roasted peanuts. My brother ate them with abandon, but I couldn’t help but wonder whether it was due to the quality of the roasted peanuts or his condition. There was only one way to find out, so I ordered a mixed bag of honey roasted peanuts, cashews, and almonds for the rest of us to sample.
Let me preface the ensuing review by stating that I don’t share the same love for peanuts as my brother. However, these were REALLY good! The roasting process seemed to enhance the nutty flavors and aromas while somehow softening their texture ever so slightly. The sweet, crunchy coating provided the perfect resistance to the tooth, and it wasn’t the least bit sticky or goopy, which I truly appreciated. Though completely unexpected, we had stumbled upon one of Boston’s hidden gems — a perfect place to stop for a cheap, filling, and (relatively) healthy snack. We thanked the nut vendor, verbally and with a tip, clipped my brother into his harness to avoid any more unexpected mishaps, and then proceeded to follow the steps of Paul Revere through Boston. Ain’t freedom great?