Born just outside of Detroit, Justin Tootla learned about his Indian culinary heritage from his father and aunts, spending most of his childhood watching them cook or joining in. After earning a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, he spent several years traveling across the country and internationally as an outdoor instructor. Realizing his passion for cooking, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, where he met his life partner, Jennifer Lee Jackson ’08.
After graduating with an associate degree in Culinary Arts, Justin completed a six-month externship at three-star Michelin restaurant Le Bernardin. He spent the next decade traveling across the country, working at various restaurants, including Restaurant Kelly Liken, a AAA Four Diamond in Colorado under “Top Chef” finalist Kelly Liken and Eva in Los Angeles, before returning to the Midwest for his first executive chef position at Thank You Chinese and Lost Lake.
In 2017, they opened Voyager, a seafood-forward restaurant that garnered spots on the Best New Restaurant lists of Food & Wine, Esquire, Eater, and Thrillist. In 2020, Jennifer and Justin opened Bunny Bunny, celebrating Justin’s Indian heritage and Jen’s southern roots, and received matching accolades despite the difficulty of the pandemic. They recently finished their work with Gilchrist Farm Winery, where they focused on creating farm-to-table menus and are currently traveling and consulting while dreaming of a Bunny Bunny revival. He and Jennifer competed together on season 23 of Bravo’s reality-TV show Top Chef.