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For Matt Greene, Greg Preston, and Brandon Siu, it all starts in the group chat. You see, the trio are behind Rusty Supper Club, a laid-back, dinner party-like pop-up that’s been cooking in the city since 2022. Their active thread often circles back to food, perhaps to the dismay of their respective partners who also reside in the same chat, whether it's a taco stand that sparked inspiration or one-word exclamations such as “CORN."
But the trio makes good on actually getting the idea out of the chat, as the resulting corn-themed dinner led to golden-fried cannolis piped with esquites, and cinnamon fritters with scoops of basil-corn ice cream. From backyard barbecues to dinners partnered up with Airbnb, we caught up with the trusty three to speak about the start of the supper club, the very active group chat and the camaraderie that naturally blossoms.
What got each of you into the restaurant industry?
Matt Greene: I grew up in London and worked on a kosher food truck at Wimbledon at 17, which was…something. I then spent summers working for this gourmet burger truck; burgers are my first love.
Greg Preston: We all grew up around the service industry; working as bartenders—even bouncers in bars—servers and [on the] lines at various restaurants, food trucks and restaurant groups after college. We all work 9-5s, but we missed the liveliness and culture of the restaurant scene.
Brandon Siu: I grew up in Hong Kong surrounded by a very lively food scene. I started working in restaurants when I was 16, serving hot dogs out of a tiny Belgian beer and hot dog spot—the owner would pay me under the table and throw in some Belgian beers on the side.
What’s the story behind the name Rusty Supper Club?
Preston: Funny enough, Matt and I dressed up as two old men one Halloween in college and called ourselves Rusty and Bubba. When we were brainstorming names for the club, Rusty kind of stuck with us. Being "rusty" at something speaks to our informality in a way; nothing is definitively perfect, we're getting back into the swing of running services and the event is meant to feel loose and free-flowing.
I understand planning out your dinners involves a very active text thread.
Preston: It starts in the group chat. We start by deciding on the ideal in-season produce that we can get at local farmers markets. Once that is decided, we have a one-pager Google doc to jot down all of our ideas, slowly whittling it down to our favorite five or six courses. We try to use the highlighted produce in as many unique and unconventional ways. Yes, you can use corn to make polenta, salads, etc. But what about toasting the husk to make a tea broth, or simmering popcorn in a sauce to bring on a new flavor profile?
Greene: For a theme, it could come with one ingredient smacking you in the face one night, and we’re like, “RHUBARB!” Then one of us will R&D on their own, share updates/flaws and go from there.
What was a dish that was a challenge to R&D but came out great?
Siu: Probably the first thing we ever made as a pop-up: the pork jowl sandwich, battered in a mochiko flour mix and wedged in a toasted pineapple bun with scallion slaw, fuyu Big Mac sauce and pickles. This first dish was inspired by a pork chop bun I had growing up in Hong Kong, served at a cafe called Danish Cafe. We R&D'd the batter mix almost ten times. We also ordered an insane amount of pork jowl that we ended up keeping frozen after the event. It turned out amazing, and it was very heartwarming when a family drove cross-town just to get it.
How do you decide who takes on what part of the menu?
Siu: We all have our unspoken trades: Greg is the smoking and pitmaster, I'm the unofficial pastry connoisseur and Matt is the saucier and front-of-house specialist. But everyone has a hand in developing part of a dish, or the entire dish itself.
What are some of your favorite restaurants in the city right now?
Greene: I thought Ha’s Snack Bar, before Bistrot Ha opened, was a special place—the melon fish sauce salad was an absolute game changer. ARIARI, Bong, Hungry Thirsty, Socceria [and] Cervo’s are all top-notch.
Siu: Mam, Bong, Thai Diner [and] Sunn’s. We also love our holes in the wall: Great NY Noodletown, Taste Good, Birria Landia [and] Spicy Village. Whenever we meet to discuss business, we always gather at Cozy Royale for a burger and martini
You have friends coming to visit at the last minute, what is your go-to spot to bring them to dinner? And what about a drink after?
Greene: When in doubt, I’d immediately get them on a bike and end up in Red Hook. Red Hook Tavern followed by Sunny’s—a prime NYC night. Otherwise, I think a bike ride to Abuqir in Astoria for some Egyptian-style grilled fish and a pint at Madam Maries.
What do you want people to walk away with when coming to a dinner at Rusty Supper Club?
Preston: Our love language is truly bringing people together around a table and sharing food that inspires us. The joy we get out of these events is the community we try to build and the camaraderie we aim to curate. We share the music playlist for guests to contribute, we're constantly walking around talking to people and we even bring some surprises out to loosen people up (shots—we bring shots). I want a guest to say, "That was such a fun night, and the food was damn good too.”
Rusty Supper Club hosts monthly dinners through Airbnb and private events. Book your reservation here.
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