Monk's Cafe
Encyclopedia
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
from the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
. The exterior of Tom's Restaurant on the corner of West 112th Street
112th Street
112th Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The westernmost section of the street in Morningside Heights runs from Riverside Drive to Amsterdam Avenue, where it meets the steps of the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine...
and Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
, near Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, is often shown on the show as the exterior of Monk's, though the interiors were shot on a sound stage. The coffee shop is almost always shot so that "Tom's" in the sign on the Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
side is not visible. The windows in the interior set do not match those of the exterior location.
The owner of the fictional café is Larry the Cook, played by Lawrence Mandley. He first appears in "The Outing
The Outing
"The Outing" is the fifty-seventh episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 17th episode of the fourth season, and first aired on February 11, 1993.The line ".....
" during season 4. In the season 4 finale, "The Pilot", Elaine is incensed that Monk's "new management" is hiring nothing but big breasted waitresses. The new owner is identified as Mr. Visaki (played by Al Ruscio
Al Ruscio
Al Ruscio is an American character actor who has appeared in numerous television series and film. He graduated from Salem High School .-Career:...
) and the well-endowed employees turn out to be his daughters. However, in the season 5 episode, "The Wife
The Wife
"The Wife" is the eighty-first episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. The 17th episode of the 5th season, it was originally broadcast on March 17, 1994...
", Larry has returned as the owner/manager and appears in that role throughout the remainder of the show's run.
The cashier's name is Ruthie Cohen (played by Ruth Cohen
Ruth Cohen
Ruth Cohen was an American character actress. She was born in The Bronx, New York.She is notable for appearing in more episodes of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld than any other actor, with the exception of the four main stars, Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Michael Richards and Julia Louis-Dreyfus...
), but in one episode, "The Pie
The Pie
"The Pie" is the seventy-ninth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the 5th season. It aired on February 17, 1994.-Plot:Jerry is miffed after his girlfriend Audrey refuses to take a bite of his pie....
", there is a different woman working there with Ruthie, the long-fingernailed Olive.
The restaurant consists of a number of booths, tables, and a counter. Jerry, Elaine, George and Kramer normally sit in the second booth from the entrance. Throughout the show's run, the chance to sit in the first booth — and thus be included in a Seinfeld scene — was auctioned off for charity.
Jerry refers to a competing coffee shop, Reggie's, as "the bizarro coffee shop." According to George, it has practically the same menu but is disliked by Jerry and Elaine (in "The Soup") for its failure to serve an "egg white
Egg white
Egg white is the common name for the clear liquid contained within an egg. In chickens it is formed from the layers of secretions of the anterior section of the hen's oviduct during the passage of the egg. It forms around either fertilized or unfertilized egg yolks...
omelette
Omelette
In cuisine, an omelette or omelet is a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan, sometimes folded around a filling such as cheese, vegetables, meat , or some combination of the above...
" or the famed "big salad
The Big Salad
"The Big Salad" is the 88th episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 2nd episode for the 6th season. It aired on September 29, 1994.-Plot:...
." In "The Pool Guy
The Pool Guy
"The Pool Guy" is the 118th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the eighth episode of the seventh season. It aired on November 16, 1995. The end credit states "In Memory of our Friend Rick Bolden"; Rick Bolden was one of the musicians who worked on the show's theme song.-Plot:Elaine befriends...
" George eats at Reggie's because there is no room for him at the table in Monk's, with Susan taking up the fourth spot.
Employees
- Larry the Cook, the owner/manager/cook; when seen, he usually has a complaint about one of the main characters.
- Ruthie Cohen, the cashier at Monk's; she is seen behind the register in most scenes set in Monk's. In "The GumThe Gum"The Gum" is the 120th episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 10th episode for the 7th season. It aired on December 14, 1995.-Plot:Kramer is active in the re-opening of the Alex movie theater...
" she is seen on a horse, and aggravates George in saying, "Your car's on fire." She only has a few lines in the series. - Kelly, a waitress who openly flirts with George in "The Soup". She is turned off by his mentioning an affinity for the word "manureManureManure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
." She is only waitressing to get money to travel to Europe and quits at the episode's end because her handmade hairclips have started selling. Tracy Kolis, the actress who played Kelly, also played the character Marlene in "The Ex-GirlfriendThe Ex-Girlfriend"The Ex-Girlfriend" is the first episode of the sitcom Seinfelds second season on NBC, and is the show's sixth episode overall. The episode first broadcast in the United States on January 23, 1991, after being postponed for one week due to the start of the First Gulf War...
." - Paco, a line cook at Monk's. He's alluded to in "The Strike" when George attributes a rubber band in his soup to Paco's cooking.
- The Blonde Waitress, who George is certain is giving him "the finger" by pointing to the menu and scratching her face while talking with him. The actress is Lauren BowlesLauren BowlesLauren Hannah Bowles is an American actress and a half-sister of Julia Louis-Dreyfus.She has appeared in numerous TV shows including Seinfeld, Arrested Development, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Judging Amy, The New Adventures of Old Christine , Private Practice and many more...
, half-sister (same mother) of Julia Louis-DreyfusJulia Louis-DreyfusJulia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus is an American actress and comedienne, widely known for her sitcom roles in Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine....
; she also starred as Julia's on-screen sister in Watching EllieWatching EllieWatching Ellie is an American sitcom that starred Julia Louis-Dreyfus and was created by her husband, Brad Hall. It aired on NBC from February 2002 to May 2003, though only sixteen episodes were broadcast before it was canceled due to low ratings....
. - Olive, a cashier whom Kramer dated in "The PieThe Pie"The Pie" is the seventy-ninth episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 15th episode for the 5th season. It aired on February 17, 1994.-Plot:Jerry is miffed after his girlfriend Audrey refuses to take a bite of his pie....
". - Babu Bhatt, who worked as a busboyBusboyBusser, busboy and busgirl are terms used in the United States for someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables and otherwise assisting the waiting staff....
after Jerry helped get him hired in "The VisaThe Visa"The Visa" is the fifty-fifth episode of the sitcom Seinfeld. It is the 15th episode of the fourth season. It aired on January 27, 1993.-Plot:George meets Cheryl , a Chinese woman who is a lawyer, and who thinks he is very funny...
". - A PortuguesePortuguese peopleThe Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
waitress with whom George had a brief relationship in "The AbstinenceThe Abstinence"The Abstinence" is the 143rd episode of the American sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 9th episode for the 8th season. It was originally broadcast on the NBC network on November 21, 1996.-Plot:...
".