Roger Gastman is a publisher, author, artist and all around media sensation. Bringing graffiti to the masses since he was a teen in Bethesda, MD, this Angeleño is a hero to anyone publishing, writing, and moving culture forward. We got the chance to find out his favorite taco, street foods, and other inside info...
TACO: What's your favorite taco?
ROGER: The Choco Taco. But if I had to pick a non-frozen one, I think my favorite is the potato tacos at Malo. Plus, they have chewy chips there.
TACO: Other favorite street food in LA/Worldwide?
ROGER: I’m a big fan of elotes—corn slathered with butter, mayo queso fresco, lime and chili powder. My favorite elote vendor used to be at the corner of 57th and Fig, but we tried to hire him to make elotes for my birthday party last year and he said no, so now he’s on the banned list, which is an actual list I have hanging up in my office.
I don’t know if this counts as street food, but I’m also really into ice cream trucks. I was in Miami for a few weeks this past December to set up Small Gift Miami, an exhibition celebrating 50 years of Sanrio, and I spent more than $250 at the ice cream truck outside
our space. I don’t play around.
TACO: What is the most exciting thing going on in the street art world right now?
ROGER: I’m really excited about Art in the Streets, a graffiti and street art exhibition that opens at MOCA in April. Jeffrey Deitch is the curator and Aaron Rose and I are associate curators. In terms of artists, I’m always interested in what BANKSY does. He just nails it every time. And Judith Supine is a new favorite of mine.
TACO: How about the least exciting?
ROGER: Pretty much 95 percent of everything I see.
TACO: Where in Los Angeles do you live, and what are your favorite neighborhoods?
ROGER: I live in Los Feliz. I really like the area because I can easily walk to restaurants, bookshops and movie theatres. Pasadena is another one of my favorite neighborhoods in L.A. It has a quiet suburb feel, plus it has Houston’s restaurant. Worldwide, my favorite place is Bethesda, Maryland, which is where I grew up. Bethesda forever!
TACO: When and where are you most happy?
ROGER: On my couch, watching bad TV with my two dogs, Nicky and Harley. Or, in a booth at Houston’s eating a veggie burger.
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