That Ate

There’s a difference between a space you pass through and a space that makes you feel like you belong there. Host Justin Burke sits down with Symantha Duggan, co-owner of Vesper Books & Wine, a Detroit cookbook store, wine bar, and community space rooted in care, intentionality, and accessibility. Symantha’s path into hospitality was anything but linear. From cosmetology to wellness hospitalit...

There’s a place in Greenpoint, Brooklyn — Edy's Grocer — that’s a little bit whimsy, a dash of zesty, and a whole lot of community. Host Justin Burke sits down with Edy Massih, owner of the Lebanese market and deli that opened during the pandemic and quickly became a bright, welcoming space amid much uncertainty. Edy’s Grocer is more than just a place to eat or cater from; it’s a reflection of ide...

This episode of That Ate holds a little more weight. Host Justin Burke sits down with comedian, writer, and author Gus Constantellis to talk about his cookbook-meets-memoir, My Greek Mom’s Recipes: She Died. I Wrote This Cookbook. What started as a project with his mother became something else entirely — a way to process grief, honor her life, and keep her presence alive through food. The book mov...

This episode is a little different. Queerness in food isn’t explicitly unpacked; yet it’s present. Host Justin Burke sits down with cookbook writer and recipe developer Casey Elsass for a conversation that’s part behind-the-scenes, part catch-up, and entirely shaped by a shared experience. Both Justin and Casey wrote and published their first cookbooks at the same time. For Casey, after helping br...

What is queer food writing, and where is it going? In episode five of That Ate , Justin Burke is joined by award-winning food writer Jaya Saxena to dig into exactly that. Because food writing isn’t just about what we're eating; it’s how we talk about people, culture, politics, identity, and the world around us. They talk about Jaya’s path into food writing, how she found her voice, and what it mea...

How much do you really know about your spices? In Episode Four of That Ate, Justin Burke is joined by Sana Javeri Kadri , founder of Diaspora Spice Co. , and Asha Loupy , the company’s recipe editor and co-author of The Diaspora Spice Co. Cookbook . They talk about disrupting the traditional spice trade, paying farmers an average of four times the commodity price, and cutting a seven-step supply c...

What does it look like to build a creative life before algorithms and stay true to yourself as everything changes? Justin Burke chats with Adam Roberts , the voice behind The Amateur Gourmet and now the author of the debut novel Food Person . Long before food blogging was an industry, Adam was writing into the void. That blog led to Food Network, a writers’ room on The Real O’Neals , two cookbooks...

What if fine dining didn’t come with exclusivity, hierarchy, or a single way to belong? Justin Burke sits down with Telly Justice , co-owner and chef of HAGS , a trans-owned, queer-focused fine dining restaurant in New York City’s East Village that’s redefining what fine dining can be—and who gets to belong. Built on care, access, and intention, HAGS makes sliding-scale meals a core part of its mo...

Did you know there’s an organization dedicated entirely to queer food workers? Justin Burke sits down with Vanessa Parish, co-founder + Executive Director of the Queer Food Foundation . Vanessa reflects on coming up in the food industry during the early, rule-less days of food media, what it meant to be publicly queer in that moment, and the real costs of visibility. Together, they unpack why the...

Welcome to That Ate , a queer food podcast hosted by pastry chef and cookbook author Justin Burke. So what is That Ate, and what exactly is queer food anyway? Episode 0 lays it all out. This podcast lives where queer identity meets food culture, shining a light on stories that don’t always get the spotlight and the lived-in experiences of queer and trans folks across the food world. It’s personal,...