Fresh coffee from ‘Old' friend
Bagels, breakfast burritos also on menu at popular city hangout

Pamela Bieri • Special to La Quinta Sun • March 9th, 2011

On any given morning under the colorful umbrellas at Old Town Coffee Company you'll see folks sitting at tables on the patio — some with their dogs, some reading the newspaper, and some talking and drinking a latte, cappuccino or smoothie.

“It's like this almost every morning,” said Merv Tyer, founder and co-owner of the coffee house in the middle of Old Town La Quinta. “We're very busy every day.”

His partner is Audrey Reed.

Tyer opened the location about five years ago after owning a couple of coffee places in Palm Springs over the past 15 years. He's been in the coffee business for 18 years, he said, and like his other restaurants, caters to the locals.

“I am passionate about coffee,” he said. “We have been successful because we go after the local following. We see many of the same people every single day. You can set your watch by some of them at 7 a.m.”

Much of Old Town Coffee Company's following comes from the 30 to 40 cyclists from Sun City, according to Tyer.

“We're about the halfway mark for them on their 40- to 50-mile cycling trips. They come in and get pumped up with a coffee and muffin.”

The food

California scones: From Old Town Coffee Company's ovens each morning come cranberry nut, glorious morning with carrots, walnuts and raisins, an old-fashioned blueberry, raspberry crunch, zucchini and banana nut. Scones and muffins are $2.25 to $2.50.

Bagel-based breakfast or lunch meals:

The Lox A Mania ($8.95) is cream cheese, lox, sliced tomatoes and red onions topped with capers.

The Hip Bagel ($6) includes sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard and mayonnaise.

Other items worth mentioning:

A Baja breakfast burrito ($5.50) rolls two “scrams” with Canadian bacon, tomatoes and choice of cheddar or pepper jack cheese and salsa and sour cream on the side.

As breakfast quickly rolls into lunch, more offerings include a trio of paninis ($8.95) all on focaccia bread including the Rustica with grilled chicken, provolone, Roma tomatoes and pesto brushed with olive oil; the Sicilian with spinach, roasted red peppers, provolone, tomatoes with a special Mediterranean dressing; and the Venetian with prosciutto, provolone, tomatoes, spinach and splashed with vinaigrette.

The spinach salad ($8.95) tosses grilled chicken, walnuts, raisins, feta cheese with spinach in a tangy vinaigrette.

Kids can get a PBJ (peanut butter and jelly) on a plain toasted bagel for $3.95.

The drinks

Old Town Coffee serves drinks with espresso-based coffees from a specialty blend that is artisan roasted by a company in San Diego. The coffees are sold by the bean as well under Old Town Coffee Company's private label.

From petite (12-ounce), basic (16-ounce) to serious (20- ounce) cups of cappuccinos and lattes with flavors such as vanilla, almond, caramel and mocha, they range in price from $2.65 to $3.95. Single or double espresso shots plain, with cream or Macchiato are from $1.50 to $2.10.

Chai lattes, hot cocoa, steamer teas such as green, oolong, black, herbal and tisane are also available by the petit, basic and serious measure and even by the pot ($3.25).

Blended iced coffees called “caffioco” are flavored with caramel, coco-loco, chocolate mint and other flavors and range from $3.55 to $4.15.

“People notice the difference in our coffees,” said Tyer. “Espressos have the cream on top, the dark extract that means it's a great espresso.”

Also find Italian fruit-based sodas such as watermelon kiwi, cranberry and strawberry lemon.