Heart Coffee Busts Out Finnish Pastries by Nuvrei Bakery

Former pro snowboarder Wille Yli-Luoma has always wanted to give Heart Coffee Roasters a touch of Finland, his birthplace, and a new collaboration with Nuvrei Bakery does just that. At both the downtown and East Burnside Heart cafes, you can now find Karelian Pies and Korvapuusti, one-of-a-kind (at least in Portland) pastries. Karelian Pies are a savory Finnish pastry typically made with rye flour, and Heart's come filled with rice porridge and topped with an egg-and-butter spread. Korvapuusti are big cinnamon rolls, only less sweet and made with the additions of cardamom and pearled sugar. In addition to these, Nuvrei now provides all of the other pastries served at Heart Coffee Roasters.

Wille and wife/business partner Rebekah Yli-Luoma teamed up with Marius Pop of Nuvrei Bakery this month, and the collaboration works both ways. Nuvrei says it intends to serve a signature coffee blend roasted by Heart at its Pearl location by the end of November.