My Pastry Mission: Nuvrei Cafe

404 NW 10th Ave & Flanders • nuvrei.com • 503.972.1700

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-5pm; Sun 8am-5pm

 

I’ve been trying to come up with a clever intro to this blog post about Nuvrei’s new cafe in the Pearl District, some story that is catchy and enthralling.  Sadly though the best I could come up with was a lead-in about how while watching the amazing movie of my youth, Titanic (yes, I was truly watched the whole thing as “research” for our trivia night), Leo’s adorable character of Jack Dawson talks about traveling to “Pair-ee” and the artsy scene there.  When I think of Paris, all I think about however is the delicious patisseries filled with incredible fresh-based breads and pastries.  For those in Portland, consider yourself lucky, now thanks to Nuvrei’s cafe, you don’t have to travel all the way across the Atlantic to get an amazing patisserie experience.

Ok, yes that was a particularly lame lead-in.  It was the best I could do for some reason.  So instead we can just get straight to the point – Nuvrei’s new retail cafe is magical.  

 Not too long ago, Nuvrei was more of a wholesale operation with just a little pastry case set up in their kitchen for walk-in customers.  As they started working on their retail space, I was eager to find out if they would be able to keep the high-quality pastries as well as create a cozy cafe atmosphere.  I can definitely say they have. 

I feel slightly obsessed with Nuvrei now – every weekend for the past few weeks, all I’ve wanted to do is head to their tiny little cafe and pick up something delicious.  I have had fantastic pastries, in particular their almond croissant that never fails to disappoint, and was blown away by how good their homemade bagel was.  Don’t dismiss their lunch options either – their chicken sandwich with thick bacon served warm on their housemade bread was especially tasty! 

I want to try every pastry, cookie and sandwich they have to offer. First up on my list – the cinnamon danish and their variety of flavored French macarons.  Since I won’t allow myself to eat like 15 desserts in one sitting, I just have to keep going back until I have succeeded on this mission.  So the friendly staff of Nuvrei, I hope you don’t mind me becoming a regular, because I think I’ll be coming back soon and often… hey, come to think of it, tomorrow for brunch sounds like a great idea 🙂

What to Get:

• Almond Croissant: This is one of the items that has made Nuvrei so successful. Buttery and flaky croissant filled with flavorful, rich almond filling.
• Housemade Bagel: Sure, I’ve had freshly baked bagels at places like Kettlemen’s before and don’t get me wrong, they were good.  But this was out of this world – light, fluffy and soft, and perfect when served warm and toasted.
• Flourless Double Chocolate Cookie: Craving something really extra chocolately? This is what to get. You can get it with or without walnuts, whatever suits your fancy.  Either way, this cookie is chewy, decadent and delicious.   

Other Facts:

• Seating: Nuvrei’s cafe is SMALL.  Sure it is more customer-friendly than what they had before, it is still a very cramped space with about 3 two-person tables and a counter with seating for about 5-6.  So beware that you might not be able to sit and hang out for long hours, at least during the weekend. 
• Want to share your Nuvrei treats?  Well that’s awfully nice of you!  Just give Nuvrei a call to order your Nuvrei pastry platter!  (Also remember not to eat them all before you get to your end destination.)