Here, the only grind (besides the one transforming beans) is deciding which of the many soothing spaces to lounge in. Or on which wavelength to do it—the Sunday morning newspaper and mocha? The Wednesday night double espressos and spoken word? Friday night live music and microbrew? Thursday local merlot and movie night? Or perhaps even the Saturday night chai and DJ mood?

Somehow, this versatile good-vibe lounge accommodates all of it. And lounge is the operative word here—a full range of niceties demand a nice lazy linger at the former Morgan’s: fair trade organic coffee, hedonistic Patisserie Bechler pastries, European beers, Wi Fi access, and that diverse entertainment.

The most striking effect, though, comes not from these components, but courtesy of the gorgeous and comfortable setting. Earth-toned and warmer-colored curtains let in patterned sunlight, round tiled tables pair nicely with woven wicker chairs, a couch cozies up to a fireplace, and bursts of color leap from Simon Bull paintings, the occasional red Sally Russell mug, and accent pillows. The full range of fixtures—including abalone-shell-dangling lights in the main room and wire orbs in the back—play off the natural taupe and cream tones of the old building’s stone walls beautifully. A couple of well-placed Buddhas overlook approvingly.

All told, it’s clear that East Village Coffee Lounge owners Yvonne Boltze, Nancy Mouat and Dean McAthie are looking to brew something beyond the standard coffee spot—“Not just another coffee joint” is their tag line. And they clearly have succeeded. One anecdotal piece of evidence: Their place had me—admittedly not much of a coffee shop type—hanging out here quite a bit of late.

One recent Saturday morning I had the run of a modern high table in the main room. While I awaited a mocha ($3.25) and quiche ($4.25) and unfolded the trusty laptop, I noticed a healthy diversity to the clientele—elders rapped about the state of the world, young DLI charges saluted their own advances in the study of Arabic, and a tribe of bicyclists clicked by to gather around the patio tables outside.

The mocha was light and not oversweet. The quiche, a wedge of mushroom and sun-dried tomatoes from Bechler’s in PG, was excellent. This day would be a good one. Further positive foreshadowing followed soon after: Towards the bottom of my mocha, Mouat kindly stopped by with an extra mocha they had made by mistake.

My next visit came on a Tuesday for a post-Farmers Market bit of relaxation. A group of friends and I shifted the setting from the main room, sliding over to the smaller of the side rooms for some beers and some privacy. Surrounded by bejeweled mirrors and a hip-looking burgundy curtain, we sipped strong Belgian Duvals ($4.50) and India Pale ales (from Anderson Valley, $3.50) and flipped through the sports pages. The evening atmosphere, with mellow music on the speakers and cushions on the wicker seats, was as welcoming as the morning shift, and it wasn’t even an entertainment night.

My final visit reaffirmed that the East Village’s coffee, necessarily enough, is nice. The javas are all organic, ground for the house label by the Carmel Valley Roasting Company. The house brew, an exclusive three-bean “bohemian French” blend, is always on tap, along with an offering from a rotating lineup of single origin coffees (both are $1.50/12 oz; $1.75/16 oz.; $2/20 oz.). I went for the bohemian over the New Guinea taste and found it earthy, dynamic and balanced.

With it I had the Veggie wrap ($3.95)—a lot of lettuce mixed with minimal carrot shavings, tomato, and avocado and wrapped in a tasty tomato-flavored tortilla. Other edible options include more wraps, mini sandwiches (turkey, ham, salami and more, $1.50) and a full selection of Patisserie Bechler delicacies.

According to Boltze, an expanded menu is on the horizon. The wine list, with both bottles and glasses, is short but distinguished and locally-focused.

All told, it’s hard not to like it here—and not just because of the simmering mix of ambiance and stimuli. In a society where our coffeehouses are as much the backbone of our culture as any other meeting place—and six Starbucks open every day—a locally-owned-and-operated place with this much style and substance is as enlivening as a good kick of caffeine.  

EAST VILLAGE COFFEE LOUNGE

Washington and Pearl, Monterey • 6am-8pm Sun-Tue; until 10pm Wed-Thu; until midnight Fri-Sat. • 373-5601.