Matt Overdevest is the chef/owner of Steadfast Supper Club in West Michigan. Chef Matt has had the pleasure of connecting with people through food for 27 years. His experience started with washing dishes as a teenager and then working his way through the ranks of the hospitality business across the country, holding positions as a forager, line cook, farm chef, corporate chef, executive chef and for 10 years as a private chef. Most recently, he was chef and partner of Marcona on Lyon, a modern Mediterranean restaurant that was awarded Restaurant of the Year by the West Michigan F&B Industry Awards in 2019.
In his downtime, Matt likes to spend time with his wife and daughter in and around their home in Ada, Michigan. Reading, documentary films, listening to music, and drawing are interests that keep him busy when out of the kitchen.
Matt was born and raised in Bakersfield California. As a child, he started venturing into cooking after being inspired by the early cooking shows of PBS that were on after school. While attending college in northern California, the need for a job landed him in the school's commissary kitchen, which eventually led to attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in Hyde Park, New York. Early in his schooling and career, Matt was fortunate to work for some pioneering chefs that impacted his thought process on cooking and the food systems that feed us. Working as a forager for a top restaurant in the Midwest, he procured all food from local growers and producers at a time before ‘farm to table” was a common catchphrase. This led to diversifying his education by working on both organic animal and vegetable farms to understand the processes from start to finish.
In this journey, Matt met his wife Kimberly in Madison, Wisconsin and the two eventually moved to New York City. The four years spent there led to many transformative experiences that included working in two top-tier fine dining restaurants, and as a corporate chef for a high-end appliance manufacturer. Matt and Kimberly then moved to her hometown of Grand Rapids to put some roots down and start a family. They welcomed their daughter into the world in 2008. Matt found an amazing fit as the chef at Food Dance in Kalamazoo and made the daily commute to make it happen. After two wonderful years at the helm of the restaurant, he was presented an opportunity to be the private chef for a family based in Grand Rapids.
Being a private chef has added the most to Matt's toolbox of hospitality knowledge, not only with food, but in service, wine, design, travel, logistics, and business. The family were adventurous diners that gave Matt the culinary freedom to never repeat a dish during his entire tenure. Continually cooking cuisines from all over the world gave him the chance to refine his style that would eventually lead to his opportunity as a restaurant owner.
In the Fall of 2018, Matt and Kameel Chamelly, owner of Martha's Vineyard in Grand Rapids, partnered in a modern Mediterranean restaurant called Marcona on Lyon in the Midtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The intimate space on Lyon St. was designed by Matt and featured 46 seats, an open kitchen with a chef's counter, and a full bar. The food and beverage program was focused on all 21 countries that are in or border the Mediterranean Sea. The restaurant delighted countless guests with thoughtful service and honest food. The entire team's efforts were recognized by industry colleagues by being awarded 'Restaurant of the Year' by the West Michigan F&B Industry Awards in 2019. Unfortunately, Marcona on Lyon was one of the countless restaurants that permanently closed its doors due to the impact of world events of early 2020.
In his downtime, Matt likes to spend time with his wife and daughter in and around their home in Ada, Michigan. Reading, documentary films, listening to music, and drawing are interests that keep him busy when out of the kitchen.
Matt was born and raised in Bakersfield California. As a child, he started venturing into cooking after being inspired by the early cooking shows of PBS that were on after school. While attending college in northern California, the need for a job landed him in the school's commissary kitchen, which eventually led to attending the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), in Hyde Park, New York. Early in his schooling and career, Matt was fortunate to work for some pioneering chefs that impacted his thought process on cooking and the food systems that feed us. Working as a forager for a top restaurant in the Midwest, he procured all food from local growers and producers at a time before ‘farm to table” was a common catchphrase. This led to diversifying his education by working on both organic animal and vegetable farms to understand the processes from start to finish.
In this journey, Matt met his wife Kimberly in Madison, Wisconsin and the two eventually moved to New York City. The four years spent there led to many transformative experiences that included working in two top-tier fine dining restaurants, and as a corporate chef for a high-end appliance manufacturer. Matt and Kimberly then moved to her hometown of Grand Rapids to put some roots down and start a family. They welcomed their daughter into the world in 2008. Matt found an amazing fit as the chef at Food Dance in Kalamazoo and made the daily commute to make it happen. After two wonderful years at the helm of the restaurant, he was presented an opportunity to be the private chef for a family based in Grand Rapids.
Being a private chef has added the most to Matt's toolbox of hospitality knowledge, not only with food, but in service, wine, design, travel, logistics, and business. The family were adventurous diners that gave Matt the culinary freedom to never repeat a dish during his entire tenure. Continually cooking cuisines from all over the world gave him the chance to refine his style that would eventually lead to his opportunity as a restaurant owner.
In the Fall of 2018, Matt and Kameel Chamelly, owner of Martha's Vineyard in Grand Rapids, partnered in a modern Mediterranean restaurant called Marcona on Lyon in the Midtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids. The intimate space on Lyon St. was designed by Matt and featured 46 seats, an open kitchen with a chef's counter, and a full bar. The food and beverage program was focused on all 21 countries that are in or border the Mediterranean Sea. The restaurant delighted countless guests with thoughtful service and honest food. The entire team's efforts were recognized by industry colleagues by being awarded 'Restaurant of the Year' by the West Michigan F&B Industry Awards in 2019. Unfortunately, Marcona on Lyon was one of the countless restaurants that permanently closed its doors due to the impact of world events of early 2020.