Rise and Shine with Nuvrei's Dante Biscuit

It's not too often that I venture to Downtown Portland, since I'm still very much in the throes of exploring the North and the South East.  Last week however, presented an opportunity, as I had a breakfast meeting at a quaint little cafe that's popular with the locals called Nuvrei.

Atmosphere:
Even though I'm still very new to Portland, I've actually been to Nuvrei before and was happy when my dining companion chose it as a meeting place.  Friends, Sonya and Moses took Dan and I there last summer for a quick bagel and coffee stop-over before hitting the Willamette Valley Wineries.

Situated in the heart of the Pearl District, which is the snazzy part of Downtown Portland, Nuvrei is a popular haunt for residents and folks who work in this part of town.  Although the cafe is quite small, it never manages to feel too crowded, as the seating is strategically dispersed into every open crevice of the space.  There's a lovely display case of beautiful looking freshly baked treats such as croissants, scones, cookies and gourmet, delicate bagels one can't help but salivate at.

Food and Coffee:
Nuvrei excels at both of the above, and I especially love their Heart Coffee Roasters local coffee, which originates from East Portland.  It's great, potent stuff that you can prepare in an aeropress, and that's no joke.

Dante Biscuit - Even though their specialty bagel sandwiches always look impressive, I steered clear this time, as I chose a hearty biscuit sandwich instead.  There's a few ingredients that sold me on this right away, including a combination of smoked bacon, raspberry jam and a fried egg on top.  We can't forget about a crumbly, buttery biscuit that soaked up all the juices of the aforementioned ingredients.  While the sandwich looked on the petite side, it packed a punch and kept me full for more than half the day, giving you great bank for your buck.

Service and Cost:
I usually find the service in Portland beyond cordial and wonderful, but I won't use effusive words when referring to the folks here.  They're nice enough but for some reason don't really exemplify the Pacific Northwest hospitality I've recently come to know.

Costs are expensive at $2.50 and $6.50 for the coffee and the biscuit respectively.  But, you get what you pay for and that's high quality.

3 Mmmms

Nuvrei - 404 NW 10th Avenue, Portland OR 97209
503.972.1700
nuvrei.com