Market Cafe (CLOSED)

You’d never expect to find a moment’s peace—or a notable meal—when dining near the grungy, heavily trafficked mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel. But Market Cafe, a modernized, civilized Art Deco diner with gleaming Formica tables, cooks up incredible seasonal food. House-made gnocchi in chunky tomato sauce with peas, ham and fresh ricotta is offered as a first course. Paired with a Caesar salad, it’s a meal for two. Desserts are just as homey—and huge. A slice of chocolate cake is in fact a jumbo, multilayered treat that could single-handedly satisfy the sugar cravings for three.