While I was on winter break from work during the holidays, I stopped by at Nuvrei again a couple of times. It’s become my breakfast/brunch obsession. I wished I lived closer as I was jealous each time I saw a regular come in and get greeted by name and exchange life updates small talk with the staff.
This time, rather than stopping in the early morning I stopped during lunchtime, and I found the fact that they have no menu board but you have to get to the register to grab one of their printed paper trifolds (even though the line is supposed to snake to the right of the entrance, past where they assemble the sandwiches and all the pastries and those macarons before you get to the register all the way on the left) pretty disorienting. They should have the menus closer to the right side perhaps in a menu holder that is noticeable so you can take the time to read through it before you get to the register area.
Still, even though they only had 8 bar seats and 3 tables, we were able to find a seat for 2 to enjoy our little lunch. One extra tip- if you look at the outside countertop where they have the additions for your coffee, there is one more small counter spot and 2 stools if you don’t want to eat back at the office or it’s not nice enough to eat outside.
Even though I came during lunchtime, I ended up with more options from their all day breakfast sandwiches part of their menu. I tried the cheddar jalapeno bagel with cream cheese, and swooned over the taste of the bagels which uses with their homemade pretzel dough, so is not quite a traditional bagel but all is totally forgiven.
Also, I tried the Smoked Cheddar pretzel with chive cream cheese and smoked wild sockeye salmon which was like a dream, every bite was so heavenly, it just sinks in with the right amount of chewiness. I suppose you can just get the bagel or the smoked cheddar pretzel by themselves too and they would be just as tasty, but seriously, their pretzel bread is such a perfect mix of soft and doughy yet firm and just a little bit of salt but then add in how it tastes with the savory sandwich fixings… like the fresh melt in your mouth salmon with that smooth just enough smear of cream cheese…so incredible.
On the brioche side, the grilled cheese with young asiagio cheese was helped by the dijon butter and the cornichons, but it still seemed plain. Also on brioche, the Morning Croque Madame with was a much better combination with its gooey oozy melt in your mouth mix of brioche, fried egg, bechamel, dijon butter, swiss cheese and ham, served hot.
If you are looking for a grab and go pastry, besides the pretzel based bagels and their various flakey buttery croissants, you might also consider their yellow squash pizza with chevre fresh oregano and ground pepper, and the margarita pizza with tomato onion chevre and fresh basil, both on a olive oil crust. I find what they did with the squash an example of what I had mentioned in a previous post: that everything is thoughtfully created with love and high quality and European craftsmanship.
