East Coast Help: Pretzel Vendors

I need some help from the East Coaster's who read RhodesSchool. I've had nothing but bad luck from pretzel vendors. First it was in NYC, today the problem occurred in Boston. I enjoy the speed of acquisition and feel for food cart vendors on the street. I've done plenty of shopping from street vendors for "goods" and I will, on occassion buy a meal from a street cart vendor. I like that it's all cash. I like that it's a one-man operation. And...I like the whole thought about cart "turf" that I have in my head. (how do you get the prime corners? Seniority? Does the Outfit control the turf?, etc...)

In the midwest, where I grew up, we had "big" or "jumbo" pretzels that were served hot. They were always, without exception soft. They were chewey and usually had salt applied to them and if you were feeling friskey, you'd even dip them in some yellow mustard - they're fantastic. In both NYC and now in Boston, I've encountered not the usual soft, chewy soft pretzel, but rather a rigid, rock hard pretzel that has an almost burnt smell to them. I can hardly get them down. They're certainly not a joy to eat.

So...East Coasters. Have I just had a bad stretch of luck? Lousy food carts? Or...is this a custom out there? Are the big pretzels supposed to be hard? Just really large versions of regular sized pretzels? If that's the case, I'll give up. If not, tell me to get back on the horse and find the perfect soft pretzel on the East Coast.