Nut Stores/Roasters in NYC and elsewhere

An interesting feature on nut stores/roasters in NYC, in the New York Times by Diane Cardwell:

http://www.nytimes.com/20...yregion/04nuts.html?hp

Anyone here been to SP's Nuts? Or similar places? I've never been, but it sounds a bit like the nut roasters in European cities.  From what the article says, it sounds like an interesting piece of Americana is on the verge of extinction.

I've been living in NY my whole life and I don't ever remember seeing anyone roasting nuts inside a store.
 
I see plenty of those "roasted nut" street carts, but I think all they're really doing is tossing the nuts in melted sugar (they smell great, but I have to say I've never tried them).

One of the few retail stores left in Downtown Akron (and maybe the only one open on Saturday) is an excellent old fashioned nut store. It had to relocate across Main Street, but as of last summer, it was still open. I am not sure if they roast themselves, but it sure smells like it! The fine Mary Coyle Ice Cream Store in Akron has a generous selection of nuts by the pound, but of course it is not a "nut store."  

I was suprised to find out that there was only one nut roaster store left in Manhattan. I was aware of SP Nuts, but the few times I walked up that way from work downtown in search of nuts I'd go to Bazzini (which I've just learned from the article that they've closed thier retail operation).

Two others I've been to are Wesco Fruit & Nut in Irvington NJ, which is about as old school as it gets--You walk right out into the roasting floor and place your order, there is no 'retail shop" per se.

http://www.irvington-nj.com/Westco.html

And Basse Nuts in Fairlawn NJ, which is a much more modern looking store but doesn't seem to have a website.

And finally there is the Roadfood-Famous Carmelcorn shop in Easton Pa (only about a 45 minute drive for me):

http://www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/3038/carmelcorn-shop

I have passed this store many times, though the sign out front makes you think the name of the business is "We Are Nuts About Nuts". I didn't realize they still roasted nuts there. About 20 years ago, a lot of stores opened up in Manhattan that sold bulk candy and nuts. Most of them are already closed, and did not do any roasting on site. Until they moved their plant to the Bronx, Bazzini still operated their entire wholesale nut business in Manhattan. Now that cafe and nut store is gone, too.

What I still vividly remember are the candy and fresh-roasted nut counters in department stores back in the 60's. Sears, Woolworths, and discount department stores all seemed to have them. They would roast nuts in deep fryers. You could smell the oil in half the store. I used to like the Spanish peanuts.

Oh, one other place. Our office in Michigan sends us a big bag of Pistacios every holiday season from Germack's Pistacio Company in Detroit. They may be the best pistacios I've ever had. It's one of the highlights of the holiday season for my office when we see the shipping box on the reception desk: "The Nuts are Here!"
 
It appears that they have a retail store as well:

http://germack.com/

I like freshly roasted peanuts.  When I worked in Newark I used to pass a place on Mulberry St that had a roaster going.  They got 'urban renewed' out of Newark and are now nutsonline.com. My roaster of choice now is at the Allentown farmer's market.  They offer a light, regular and dark roast.  The dark is the best!

I haven't thought about Woolworth's in a while. It was indeed nice to smell the roasted nuts and other foods there. In Milwaukee there's a candy/nuts chain called Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel that sells freshly roasted nuts. Some of the stores are combined QCBS, but others are stand-alone nut shops. The stores I've been in have a roaster-looking heat unit, but I'm not sure if the nuts are actually roasted there, or if they're just kept warm (and aromatic).

Edit: From what I see on their website, they roast the nuts at the central QCBS facility in a Milwaukee suburb:

http://www.qcbs.com/catalog/home.php

I guess I'm a little obsessed with nut roasting shops. A little looking on the web led me to the Milwaukee Nut Company, on the west side:

http://martindrive.org/milwaukee_nut_company.htm

Cool! I'll have to make a trip this weekend. I find it odd that I haven't seen it written up at all.... I'll call first.

If you are ever in Charleston, WV don't miss the Peanut Shoppe on Capitol St.  It has been there since 1950.  the store itself is very narrow, just enough room for the counter & a nut roaster.  
 I remember going "uptown" shopping with my parents.  While my mom shopped(in heels, dressmaker suit, gloves & hat), my dad would take my sister & I to the Peanut Shoppe or fresh roasted peanuts.  Then we would walk down to Blossum Dairy for a malted.

Now I get the roasted cashews, I've never tasted better.