“Our menu is organized around using all parts of an animal, moving from one preparation to another. The dishes work together to support a sustainable program, for example, if we purchase a whole pig, we’ll serve schnitzel or house-made sausages on the dinner menu, bacon on the brunch menu, and cure our own ham. We also work with community-based organizations to hire people with significant barriers to sustainable employment.”

House burger made with sustainably sourced meat.

Housed in a Pullman car from the 1920s that’s situated just blocks from the Williamsburg Bridge, Andrew Tarlow’s first spot helped usher in an era of sustainably-minded Brooklyn restaurants. There’s no formal menu here. Instead, a member of the team comes to each table and describes the offerings while writing a shorthand to help diners remember them on the butcher’s paper that blankets the tables. The unpredictability of the offerings is half the fun of dining here. During the spring, dinner might feature beet greens or soft-shell crabs, and brunch buckwheat pancakes and a fried green tomato sandwich. The one constant is the restaurant’s iconic burger made from animals butchered in partnership with the team’s nearby shop Marlow & Daughters. Much like the hand-written menu, the check at Diner is straightforward.