Canal Street Dreams — Quentin Belt on Canal Street Dreams

Hosts: Eddie Huang & Natashia Perrotti
Guest: Quentin Belt
Air Date: September 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Canal Street Dreams spotlights Quentin Belt—a fashionable, sharp-tongued New York maître d’, comedian, and photographer. Eddie, Natashia, and Quentin traverse Quentin’s career from LA queer nightlife to New York’s restaurant scene, his candid takes on fashion, the realities of being a creative in NYC, their mutual admiration for queer pop-flavored moments, and the sometimes-fraught relationship between support, self-worth, and being “that funny person” in their creative community. Along the way, the trio veer into discussions about parenthood, sexuality, comedy, astrology, and the spiritual economy of New York nightlife.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Quentin’s Early Career: From LA to NYC

• Quentin’s journey began in LA, throwing “the biggest queer art fashion party” (Sash Mondays), before moving to NYC in 2010 (06:40).
• Immediate immersion into NYC nightlife and party photography: “Every night. I went out for the first three years I was here, I was going out. I was doing heroin…” (05:59)
• Transition from LA MySpace circles (“the Royales”) to instant community in NYC with creative icons like Raul Lopez and Shane Oliver.
• Notable quote:
  “It was seamless. Already new. Like, it’s so funny to think about... I was on MySpace… and then when I moved to New York, I was like, oh my God, here you guys are.” – Quentin (06:40)

2. Restaurant Life & Hosting Stories

• Quentin details a pivot from retail (top Club Monaco salesperson) to hospitality, catalyzed by his desire to do something more true to his personality (07:39).
• Landing the maître d’ gig at Mission Chinese:
  “I really want to work at Mission Chinese... she’s like, ‘What’s your sign?’; I was like, ‘I’m an Aries.’ She was like, ‘I need an Aries. You’re hired.’” (09:02)
• Mission Chinese’s “Empire Records” energy: highly creative, chaotic, and permissive of attitude (“I was encouraged to be as bitchy as I wanted to.”) (11:00)
• The ways NYC dining scenes have shifted, with Quentin and hosts lamenting the decline of bold, personality-driven front-of-house dynamics in favor of exclusivity and moneyed gatekeepers (11:41).

3. Comedy, The Internet & Visibility

• Quentin’s comedy came up largely as an organic, self-deprecating outgrowth of survival:
  “I was a faggot until I was funny. And then when I was funny... now I’m not getting picked on. And now it’s like, I’m the funny dude.” (19:28)
• His comic persona: across Instagram clips, subway takes (i.e., the viral cowboy boots rant), and real-world banter.
• Internet virality led to unlikely friendships and opportunities:
  “When I got your DM... my heart dropped... I struggle with self esteem stuff and like thinking like, self worth... but it’s cool.” – Quentin to Eddie (21:57)
• On humor as a shield and bridge: “You can end up getting lonely in your head. Like Robin Williams... that’s why I reach out to funny people on the Internet.” – Eddie (24:07)

4. Support, Money & Friendship

• The trio reflects on how genuine support is often lacking in close circles but may come from unexpected places: “Your closest friends, crickets. But this bitch I met one time at the bottom rep... I’m like, what’s that?” – Natashia (25:01)
• Concept of “levels of support”:
  “If I need some money, I want you to Venmo me immediately... If you can’t show up for me physically, at least show up for me financially.” – Quentin (25:27)
• Lively exchange on normalizing peer-to-peer financial support: “Venmo your friends more, huh? Normalize just sending somebody $500.” – Natashia (25:54)

5. Fashion, Creative Hustle & the NYC Free Economy

• The New York (and LA) “free clothes and shoes” scene—a badge of creative insider status.
• Quentin shouts out brands and delves into the fashion economy:
  “Nothing tastes as good as free feels.” (32:25)
• On Gen Z and “influencer” entitlement:
  “Slow your role. Stop thinking everybody is your equal. It’s insane to me.” – Quentin (34:37)

6. Photography & New Projects

• Ongoing photography career—includes a forthcoming photo book “Camera Roll” published September 13th, with a launch event (41:06).
• Shifted Instagram handle from “Butt Dick Buffy” due to career/corporate pressures; new handle “cringe” (30:16).
• Intertwined with poetry:
  “He has like a...series called Camera Roll. I'm gonna be the first one. It's essentially a magazine of all my photos from this year... and my poetry for my Instagram.” (41:17)

7. Sexuality, Romance & New York Realness

• Frank talk about sex, relationships, gay community mores, and Quentin’s flirtations with parenting via “the gunkle route” (04:33).
• Breast milk in protein shakes, pregnancy sex, and honest parenting:
  “Oh, I was drinking her frozen breast milk. I was putting it in protein shakes. It was so ill…” – Eddie (03:44)
• Quentin on hookups:
  “There’s like four to five men walking around right now that might be pregnant.” (04:48)

8. Pop Culture, Music, Film & Hot Takes

• Spirited talk about concert fashion (“Cowboy Carter”/Beyoncé), theme dressing (02:08), and the gay/fun/corny axis of pop culture.
• Clear anti-Taylor Swift stance: “I despise Taylor Swift.” – Quentin (17:12)
• In-depth shout-outs to Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae, Sky Ferreira, Dev Hines, Steven Yeun, and more.
• Quentin’s cinephilia:
  “Movie obsessed... have to ask you... Everything, everywhere, all at once—did you hate it or love it?” (51:16)
• Eddie:
  “I didn’t like it. I thought it was a messy film.” (51:34)
• Film & doc recs: Materialists, Weapons, Shoplifters, Frederick Wiseman’s Ballet, and the “craziest documentary” about the hanging Indian family (59:08).

9. Astrology, Identity, & Spirituality

• Quentin’s (possible) triple Aries identity; horoscope banter.
• Natashia on astrology: “Best incarnation you can have is an Aries Rising....so sturdy in yourself, and the universe moves for you.” (57:32)
• Parenting, expectation, and openness—“Ballet over football? Absolutely, we're taking ballet.” (58:31)

10. The Next Chapter

• Quentin confirms involvement at Eddie & Natashia’s next venue (Gazebo):
  “You heard it here first. Okay? In this video. This is legally binding. Okay. This is great.” (27:47)
• Discussion about launching Quentin’s own podcast, a real comedy show, and more—dealmaking happens live:
  “I want to do it. Deal has been made.” (40:44)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Self-Esteem, Comedy, and Connection:
  “I struggle with self esteem stuff and like thinking like, self worth, blah, blah, blah. You know who I actually think a lot about is Robin Williams. Cause he’s like super funny. But I can understand how... like how you can get kind of depressed in it, whatever... So I don’t think I’m that funny.” – Quentin (21:57)

• On New York Nightlife Spirit:
  “We was broke at the same time... one of us would buy the soup. One would have to buy the scowling pancakes to dip it in.” – Quentin (35:48)

• On Eating Ass & Modern Sexual Mores:
  “That’s me showing love, but that’s also me putting out there that, like, gay men nowadays don’t like eating ass. I eat ass.” – Quentin (43:00) “You gotta go down first. You gotta like... this is bigger than the climate crisis.” – Eddie (43:46)

• On Fashion Week & Freebies:
  “There’s nothing. Nothing. We’re talking about food. Nothing tastes as good as free feels.” – Quentin (32:25)

• On Comedy as Defense and Jewel:
  “You develop your sense of humor as a defense mechanism.” – Eddie (24:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:34 — Quentin’s viral subway/cowboy boots take
• 05:56 — On moving to NY, club scene, and LA-MySpace background
• 09:02 — Getting the maître d’ job at Mission Chinese
• 13:00 — Meeting Ryan McGinley, early NYC stories
• 15:54 — Critique/pop appreciation: Sabrina Carpenter, Addison Rae, Taylor Swift
• 25:26 — Levels of support: friendship, showing up, Venmo culture
• 30:16 — Rebranding from “Butt Dick Buffy” to “cringe”
• 41:06 — Announcement of photography book and event
• 43:00 — Quentin’s poetry segment ("I drink tap water, I eat ass...")
• 46:36 — Grandpa summer/look, Chinatown style
• 51:16 — Movie talk: Everything Everywhere All at Once and more
• 54:55 — Open talk on parenting, ballet vs. football, astrology
• 59:08 — Craziest documentary pitch (“Indian family hanging in their house”)
• 60:47 — Closing plugs: Quentin joining Gazebo, book, Venmo drive

Episode Tone & Vibe

• Unapologetically raw, humorous, and welcoming
• Full of inside jokes, creative community kinship, and New York nostalgia
• Open-hearted approach to queerness, identity, relationships, and artistic hustle
• Part revelatory, part roast—always authentic

Final Plugs

• Follow Quentin:
  New Instagram: @cringe
  Venmo: Quinton Dash Belt (Quinton-Belt)
• Preorder his photo book: “Camera Roll” (Sept 13th @ Time Again NY)
• Stay tuned for Quentin’s (future) podcast and real show (in development)
• Look for him at the new Gazebo when it opens!

For more unfiltered creative conversations, follow Canal Street Dreams and consider subscribing for full-length episodes.