Hector Elizondo (Dr. Neven Bell) was actually retired and had to be convinced to come out of retirement by Tony Shalhoub to film their scenes together.
Tony Shalhoub's wife in real life, Brooke Adams, appears as the editor, Beth.
The flashback with Monk and Sharona, where he references his stove, is from the 1st episode of Monk: "Mr. Monk and the Candidate."
As Monk leaves her office, the publisher's name, Beth Landow, can be seen on the glass. This name apparently pays homage to Beth Landau, wife of Monk creator Andy Breckman. Furthermore, Beth Landow was also the name of the victim in "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School" (S2E1).
The crime scene is the Vinton Street Bridge. Vinton Street is a common location throughout the series (Vinton Street Market, et al). In real life, Vinton Street was near the home of Monk's creator.