Snicker Bar Salad

Bed-Stuy, Do or Dine

The restaurant owners call the style American Itzakaya: an American take on Japanese pub food. And while yuzu, sansho and shiso all make appearances on the menu, the food at Do or Dine is definitely not Japanese. The story behind the restaurant informs its playfulness. While the kitchen is not formally trained, these are restaurant people. Partners Justin Warner, George McNeese and Luke Jackson all worked together at The Modern, a three-star fine-dining restaurant in the MoMA in Midtown Manhattan. They worked in the front of the house, as waiters and bartenders. And like many service professionals, they did not find the work fulfilling. “I used to be the classic waiter stereotype, you know? Just like in a suit, not clean, drunk, you know, barely shaved,” said Warner, who runs the kitchen along with McNesse. They had the idea that they wanted to open their own spot for some time, but it finally happened over dinner at Roberta’s in Bushwick (another Brooklyn restaurant lacking a formally trained chef that is good nonetheless). So they shook hands and agreed to do it. So they opened up shop in an old Caribbean restaurant space called B’s Taste Buds -- the awning still hangs above the storefront, with Do or Dine’s sign plastered to the bottom, somewhat sneakily.

The room, like the menu, has its quirks, but for the most part looks like what you’ve come to expect from a Brooklyn restaurant: Retro wallpaper, knick-knacks here and there and a visible kitchen pass. It also has an outdoor seating area with communal tables, the old menu from B’s Taste Buds, and other standard Brooklyn backyard detritus scattered about. And while the menu has a focus on small playful plates, it also has some excellent and inexpensive main dishes, under the heading “Proteins.” Roast Chicken with a succotash of buttery sweet summer corn, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes ($13) was perfectly cooked; a whole wild striped sea bass ($16), deep fried -- “A Fish and Chips” on the menu -- was both delicious as it was visually stunning: The fish is delivered upright on a bed of well executed french fries. Perhaps the food is that much more impressive knowing that it was made by front-of-house staff with no formal training, though they have had some help. “We have chefs and [cooks] that are friends, but there’s never been a time where it’s like, you know, ‘Teach me how to dougie,’” said Warner with a laugh, having summed up the irreverent attitude of Do or Dine in one sentence. The dessert menu might as well be sourced from the bodega, and that’s funny.

Lindsey's Kitchen

I love food!! I am always exploring and creating new recipes for my family to enjoy. People always tell me to start a food blog and post my creations, so I finally did it. I can't help but take pictures of all my creations. Some day I hope to get a professional camera. Since I don't log the recipes I create, I use the pictures to keep track of what my family enjoys. I seldom cook using recipes, everything just comes from my mind. After much request I finally decided to post my recipes so that others can enjoy them too.

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