Do or Dine: The Bad Boys of Brooklyn

When three guys from THE modern decided to take their wine, bartending, cooking, and service skills from Midtown and bring it closer to home in Brooklyn two years ago, they never dreamed their Bed-Stuy restaurant could garner as much fanfare as it has today. Part of Do or Dine’s fame comes from wine-rapping chef Justin Warner, who won Food Network Star under the tutelage of Alton Brown in July 2012. Yet, while Warner remains the face of the restaurant, it’s the work of co-owners Luke Jackson, designer Perry Gargano, and fellow chef George McNeese that have kept things going. On any given night you pass the time under the disco ball or in the graffiti covered backyard and nibble on McNeese’s whimsical creations like Bones, Slugs, and Hominy, a dish made up of bone marrow sauce, escargot, and corn. Or, dive into a hearty plate dubbed Chicken and Woffals, the latter signaling the use of chicken liver and offal in the meal. “I come up with the pun and then create the dish around it,” said McNeese. “That’s that way it usually is.” And so far, this system has worked. —lc