Talk of the Town - Queer as food July 17 2003

Size queens open wide: The Big Gay Supper Club is both big and gay and serves as an alternative to Atlanta’s gay dating scene.

Matt Ruppert and Rande Head, two 23-year-olds who have been best friends since high school, are hosting the seventh Big Gay Supper Club dinner Tuesday.

They both worked in the restaurant business since they were 17 and eventually decided to put their ideas of good taste in food preparation and ambience to better use than simply decorating their kitchens.

Bored with the typical nightlife scenes, the two single guys put their creative minds together to form the club as a way of meeting other men without the usual S&M crowd (that’s “Stand & Model,” mind you). The previous dinners were thrown at such upscale places as Spice, Cherry, Agave, Commune and Cavu to provide a change from smoky bars and music-thumping nightclubs. And when else do you get fine dining with — a drag queen?

Local drag performer Jason Jupiter will appear Tuesday with big hair, big jewelry and an evening gown to rival any Miss Georgia winner to play up the beauty pageant theme of the dinner.

Just remember to chew (and swallow).

The Big Gay Supper Club, July 22, 7 p.m. $35 not including gratuity, tax and alcohol. The Food Studio, 887 W. Marietta St. Reservations required by phone or e-mail: Matt Ruppert and Rande Head, 404-724-0105. biggaysupperclub@yahoo.com.