That Ate

Episode 9: That Ate with Symantha Duggan + Vesper Books & Wine

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 hospitality to construction management, every chapter shaped how she thinks about people, space, and community. Those experiences now live inside Vesper, a place designed to feel warm, thoughtful, and welcoming without pretension. In this episode, they talk about building Vesper from the ground up, creating a hospitality space that removes barriers rather than reinforces them, and why making people feel comfortable matters just as much as what’s on the menu or the shelves. They also discuss the importance of having a culinary-focused bookstore in Detroit, not just for the local community, but for cookbook culture more broadly. Spaces like Vesper create opportunities for connection, author events, food conversations, and reasons for cookbook authors and food media to stop in Detroit rather than pass it by. This conversation touches on hospitality, queer community, accessibility, design, food culture, and what happens when people build spaces with genuine care at the center. More than anything, it’s about creating places people want to return to and the power of making someone feel considered the moment they walk through the door. GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY The foundation of That Ate is community; supporting the people doing the work, sharing resources, and keeping the queer food community connected. Below are the people, businesses, and organizations mentioned in this episode, including this week’s guest(s): * Symantha Duggan - connect on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/symanthajaneduggan/]  * Vesper Books & Wine - if you’re in Detroit or planning a trip soon, visit www.vesperbooksandwine.com [http://www.vesperbooksandwine.com] or follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/vesperbooksandwine/] Queer Food Stars Symantha wants you to know: * Sami Tamimi - follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sami_tamimi/] or subscribe to Sami’s Substack [https://samitamimi.substack.com/] * Jon Kung - follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jonkung/] or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@jonkung]  Go follow, support, and spread the love. That Ate: * Subscribe to Taste This [https://tastethisnewsletter.substack.com/], Justin’s newsletter, to catch every episode.  * Follow Justin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/justintsburke/] * Want to collab or have a suggestion for a future guest? Visit the website. [https://www.justintsburke.com/]

Episode 8: That Ate with Edy Massih

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 identity, culture, and the kind of community that forms when people feel genuinely welcomed. In this episode, they talk about what it really looked like to open a business during COVID, how collaboration became a defining part of the space, and why creating something inclusive isn’t a strategy, it’s a way of moving through the world. They also get into Edy's debut cookbook, Keep It Zesty, a natural extension of the grocer but also something more personal. A way to tell his story on his own terms, honor the women who have shaped him (yes, Oprah Winfrey comes up), share his love for Lebanese food, and bring that same sense of connection at Edy’s Grocer into people’s kitchens. This conversation touches on queer and immigrant intersectionality, resilience, and the responsibility that comes with building a space where others can feel joy and safety. More than anything, it’s about what happens when food brings people together and how collaboration can turn a space into something bigger than itself. GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY The foundation of That Ate is community; supporting the people doing the work, sharing resources, and keeping the queer food community connected. Below are the people, businesses, and organizations mentioned in this episode, including this week’s guest(s): * Edy Massih - connect on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/edymassih/] or visit him at www.edymassih.com [http://www.edymassih.com] * Edy’s Grocer - next time you’re in Brooklyn, visit edysgrocer.com [http://edysgrocer.com] or follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/edysgrocer/] * Keep It Zesty - If you haven’t yet, get your copy here [https://edysgrocer.com/cookbook] Queer Food Stars Edy wants you to know: * Jordan Smith - follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/helloitsjordansmith/] or subscribe to his Substack [https://helloitsjordansmith.substack.com/] Go follow, support, and spread the love. That Ate: * Subscribe to Taste This [https://tastethisnewsletter.substack.com/], Justin’s newsletter, to catch every episode.  * Follow Justin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/justintsburke/] * Want to collab or have a suggestion for a future guest? Visit the website. [https://www.justintsburke.com/]

Episode 7: That Ate with Gus Constantellis

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 moves between humor and loss, recipes and memory, capturing what it means to lose someone and still feel them in the dishes you make. For many, Gus’s mom was already a familiar presence — “The Greek Mom” — a beloved character through his comedy that resonated with people across cultures and backgrounds. In this conversation, they discuss Gus’s path from stand-up to writing, what it was like to write this book in real time after his mother’s passing, and how storytelling, food, and queerness intersect in moments of loss, family, and identity. More than anything, this episode is about connection and the ways we keep people close. If you’ve ever cooked to remember someone, or are navigating loss in your own way, this conversation offers both honesty and comfort. GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY The foundation of That Ate is community; supporting the people doing the work, sharing resources, and keeping the queer food community connected. Below are the people, businesses, and organizations mentioned in this episode, including this week’s guest(s): * Gus Constantellis - connect on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/constantlygus/] or visit him at www.constantlygus.com [http://www.constantlygus.com] * My Greek Mom’s Recipes: She Died. I Wrote This Cookbook - If you haven’t yet, get your copy here [https://geni.us/GreekMomCookbook] Queer Food Stars Gus wants you to know: * Edy Massih [https://www.instagram.com/edymassih/] * Edy’s Grocer [https://www.instagram.com/edysgrocer/] * Kate Sisk [https://www.instagram.com/thekatesisk/] Go follow, support, and spread the love. That Ate: * Subscribe to Taste This [https://tastethisnewsletter.substack.com/], Justin’s newsletter, to catch every episode.  * Follow Justin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/justintsburke/] * Want to collab or have a suggestion for a future guest? Visit the website. [https://www.justintsburke.com/]

Episode 6: That Ate with Casey Elsass

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 bring nearly 20 cookbooks to life as a ghostwriter and co-author, What Can I Bring? marks his first solo book. Together, they dive into what it actually takes to write a cookbook: the long timelines, the testing, the figuring-it-out-as-you-go. They also unpack Casey’s path as a “cookbook doula” and explore the difference between ghostwriting and co-authoring. More than anything, this episode captures what happens when two people move through the same process at the same time, and how that shared journey can turn into something more. It’s very queer food. If you’ve ever thought about writing a cookbook, or just want a closer look at how they come together, this conversation offers both insight and connection. GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY The foundation of That Ate is community; supporting the people doing the work, sharing resources, and keeping the queer food community connected. Below are the people, businesses, and organizations mentioned in this episode, including this week’s guest(s): * Casey Elsass - connect on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/caseyelsass/] or visit him at www.caseyelsass.com [http://www.caseyelsass.com] * What Can I Bring? - If you haven’t yet, get your copy here [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/casey-elsass/what-can-i-bring/9781454955344/] Queer Food Stars Casey wants you to know: * Erik Piepenburg [https://www.instagram.com/erikp57/] * Dining Out [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/erik-piepenburg/dining-out/9780306832161/?lens=grand-central-publishing] * Liz Alpern [https://www.instagram.com/lizalpern/] * Queer Soup Night [https://www.instagram.com/queersoupnight/] * DeVonn Francis [https://www.instagram.com/devonncharlesfrancis/] Go follow, support, and spread the love. That Ate: * Subscribe to Taste This [https://tastethisnewsletter.substack.com], Justin’s newsletter, to catch every episode.  * Follow Justin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/justintsburke/] * Want to collab or have a suggestion for a future guest? Visit the website. [https://www.justintsburke.com/]

Episode 5: That Ate with Jaya Saxena

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 means to approach food through a queer and trans lens. They also get into the future of queer food writing, moving beyond trauma and joy into nuanced, lived-in stories that reflect real life. Plus, they dig into her James Beard–nominated Eater essay “The Food That Makes You Gay”, and the very real (and slightly wild) reactions people have to something as simple as eating a banana, ice cream, and even soup. 😵‍💫 If you’re into food writing, queer storytelling, and conversations that go beyond the plate, this episode is for you. GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY The foundation of That Ate is community; supporting the people doing the work, sharing resources, and keeping the queer food community connected. Below are the people, businesses, and organizations mentioned in this episode, including this week’s guest(s): * Jaya Saxena - connect on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jayasax/] or visit her at www.jayasaxena.com [http://www.jayasaxena.com] * Jaya’s article mentioned in this episode - The Food That Makes You Gay [https://www.eater.com/24162871/food-makes-you-gay], Eater * Books mentioned in this episode - Dining Out [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/erik-piepenburg/dining-out/9780306832161/?lens=grand-central-publishing] by Erik Piepenburg, What is Queer Food? [https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324073796] by John Birdsall, and Queers at the Table [https://arsenalpulp.com/Books/Q/Queers-at-the-Table] by Alex D. Ketchum & Megan J. Elias Queer Food Stars Jaya wants you to know: * Meghan McCarron [https://www.instagram.com/meghanmccarron/] * Dave’s Lesbian Bar [https://www.instagram.com/daveslesbianbar/] * Cake Zine [https://www.instagram.com/cake_zine/] (not explicitly queer, but a supporter of queer stories and queer writers) Go follow, support, and spread the love. That Ate: * Subscribe to Taste This [https://tastethisnewsletter.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips], Justin’s newsletter, to catch every episode.  * Follow Justin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/justintsburke/] * Want to collab or have a suggestion for a future guest? Visit the website. [https://www.justintsburke.com/]