The Great Chestnut Experiment - Chestnut Treats and More at the Bryant Park Winter Village

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Not so much these days. On cold weather visits to Manhattan when we were kids, roasted chestnut carts were as ubiquitous on street corners as hot dog and pretzel carts. They disappeared decades ago, when the American chestnut trees which once covered more than 200 million acres were all but wiped out by blight. If you've seen chestnuts since them, they've almost surely been imported.

As plant breeders cultivate chestnut trees that resist blight, the Great Chestnut Experiment is on a quest to support new chestnut farmers and forests. How do you make people care? Feed them!

Previously the Great Chestnut Experiment's products were only available online. This year, they've taken a booth at the Bryant Park Winter Village. You'll find classic paper cones of roasted chestnuts, chestnut pastries, and their signature Warm Chestnog drink.

We enjoyed a toasty bag of freshly-roasted chestnuts. Sweet and meaty, the flavor took us back to the days of holiday drives into "the city" to see "the tree" and go to Radio City. They tasted even better than we remembered them.

The Great Chestnut Experiment, booth N61 at the Bryant Park Winter Village through Jan. 5. Click here for their website.