In his new book Dining Out, New York Times writer Erik Piepenburg explores how gay restaurants, coffee shops, diners and unconventional eateries have charted queer placemaking and changed the modern LGBTQ civil rights movement for the better.

Using archival material, original reporting and interviews, and first-person accounts, Erik takes readers to Automats, lesbian coffee houses, sports bars, drag brunches, James Beard-winning restaurants and his own beloved diners. It’s a culinary tour full of joy, sex, sorrow, activism and nostalgia.

Coming June 2025 from Hachette