Update: Coffee with free parking in Manhattan

A mug of strong coffee is only $1.50 before 11 a.m. at the Market Diner in Manhattan.

A breakfast bowl of minestrone.

The Market Diner on 11th Avenue and 43rd Street is probably the only Greek diner in Manhattan with free parking.

A mug of strong black coffee costs $1.50, with at least one free refill. The brew is made from beans roasted in Brooklyn.

Before 10 a.m. today, I was able to order a large bowl of minestrone soup with far more vegetables than elbow macaroni ($4.25).

The diner also serves wine and beer.

The entrance to the parking lot, which accommodates six vehicles, is on 43rd Street. The diner is open 24 hours.

The lot was closed on Tuesday, when a TV production crew for "Elementary" was using the diner.

The 11th Avenue view from the Market Diner.

Update

The day after I posted this, I returned for another bowl of soup, this time a thick, vegetarian split-pea soup ($4.25), and another cup of coffee.

When the check came, I saw I was charged $2 for the mug of coffee and refill, and asked about it at the register.

The woman said coffee is $1.50 before 11 a.m. and $2 after.  

I also received a comment that a McDonald's at 34th Street and 10th Avenue in Manhattan is open 24 hours and also has free parking.

Of course, you can't compare the quality of the food to the diner. 

Kimchi service sets Gam Mee Ok apart

The taste of the kimchi can make or break a restaurant.

Image via Wikipedia

When we walked into Gam Mee Ok in Fort Lee on Saturday night, it looked different and I saw the name of another restaurant on the place mat. 


But it's just an affiliated place in Queens called Tang, and Gam Mee Ok still is the only North Jersey place I know with kimchi service.


After you place your order, you are brought a vase-like bowl with cabbage and radish kimchis, tongs and scissors, and you are served both kinds. The server than pours on additional sauce.


When we first started going to Gam Mee Ok (pronounced GAM-yo) a couple of years ago, my wife insisted on ordering cabbage kimchi to take home. 


But there appears to be a new kimchi maker in the kitchen, because, as she noted Saturday night, the sauce is thicker and doesn't contain as much red pepper as before. The kimchi still is wonderful, though.


We ordered an appetizer called shrimp Jeon ($6.95) and three stone-bowl bibimbaps ($13.95 each) -- a hot Korean rice dish topped with julienne vegetables, meat and a raw egg. 


We asked the waiter to hold the meat and cook the egg. You're given red pepper paste or sauce to add, and then mix up all the ingredients before eating it with a spoon. It's one of my favorite Korean dishes.


The five shrimp were butterflied and dipped in egg before cooking, then served with sauces. Very nice. You also get a basket of fresh cabbage and hot, green peppers, in place of traditional side dishes.


Gam Mee Ok's architecture is modern. It's one of the few 24-hour Korean restaurants, and the young staff members were dressed in red T-shirts and bandannas for the World Cup (South Korea's winning match was being broadcast). 


We arrived around 5 p.m. for dinner and, with few people to serve, the Korean waiters and waitresses chatted and flirted with each other.


Gam Mee Ok, 485 Main St., Fort Lee; 201-242-1333.