Walter Gomez Eats Out

Walter Gomez Eats Out

Walter Gomez

I don’t know if you’ve had the pleasure or in some cases the misfortune of meeting my son – the walking / talking Puerto Rican Parade of ONE, Walter Gomez.  Anyway, I’m sure that you will be extremely entertained by his razor-sharp tongue and fiery mouthful of sass that he spews on everyone and everything in his sight. All joking aside (although I’m not joking) he’s simply a joy. He’s patented his own little dance – arms flapping furiously, whilst turning from side to side and doesn’t normally like to wear pants. On the food front he is always a welcome guest at my table and has enjoyed many a gourmet meal here at Chez MORE! When we travel together, our priorities are to seek out new and exciting restaurants, ordering everything possible and all of the desserts.

We host a monthly party together every third Saturday of the month at the notorious SoMa bar Powerhouse called BEATPIG. It brings together the worlds of music, leather, fashion and drag.

Walter and I at BEATPIG.

Walter Gomez answers my foodie questionnaire here:

What is your favorite dessert?

I don’t think any meal is complete without dessert. In fact, I won’t assess a restaurant’s prowess until I get to the dessert. There’s very few dessert things I wouldn’t try, aside from the combination of mint and chocolate (it makes me poopy). After moving from Puerto Rico, I’ve become obsessed with trying flans whenever available. It’s such an easy dessert to make, but people in the west coast have perfected the art of fucking it up. So, a simple and smooth flan will make me a happy piglet.

Sassy face.

What restaurant would you call your home?

It would be a tie between Rocco’s Cafe and Basil Thai, both in SoMa. The pork chop sandwich (with added cheddar cheese) from the former is a must for lunch. And I’m pretty sure I’ve had the roasted duck curry from the latter roughly 49 times..

What is the strangest or most inspiring thing you’ve ever eaten?

Back home, morcillas (pig’s blood sausages) are kind of a big deal, especially over Christmas. I think they’re disgusting, and as a child, I was pressured into eating those abominations every year. As far as inspiring, I have to give props to Skool for introducing me to their uni flan; I never thought I’d enjoy sea urchin. Also, any pizza with an egg on it, because it’s fucking genius!

What was your favorite breakfast cereal as a kid?

I had surprisingly boring tastes as a kid, so Frosted Flakes or Corn Pops usually did the trick.

What is your favorite food to pig-out on after the club?

Denny’s now has a burger that has bacon, hash browns and a fried egg in it, and there’s one ‘conveniently’ located about 2 blocks from my house and open 24 hours. The heartburn you get from it the morning after is about as close to God as one can get.

Walter as a human ketchup holder for my fries.

Justin Bond Eats Out

Justin Bond and I met in the early 90’s in San Francisco. At that time it seems a lot of us were finding ourselves in our community as artists. Justin has always been the perfect example of the arts . Talent, smarts and captivatingly  beautiful – it’s no wonder Justin has been dubbed “The greatest cabaret artist of (v’s) generation” by  the New Yorker’s Hilton Als.

Justin Vivian Bond

A couple of years back I got to hear Justin cover Bambi Lake’s “The Golden Age of Hustlers” – it was a truly magical moment.

If you haven’t already done so – get a copy of Justin’s latest adventure “Dendrophile” today. It was a joy to have Justin answer my foodie questionnaire.

What is your favorite dessert?

Personally, I love sticky toffee pudding. I’m not a big chocolate person. I like caramel and cake and I like it to be damp and hot. I like just about anything damp, hot, and spongy, preferably with a little cool cream on the side.

What restaurant would you call home?

There’s an italian restaurant here in the East Village in NYC called Lavagna, where I eat first thing upon my return to NY after a tour. The food is delicious, the wine is excellent, and it’s very unpretentious. Usually, I’ll show up with two or three people and end up with a party of ten or twelve. I’ve turned so many people on to it, and everybody loves it. My favorite dish is their Fresh pappardelle with braised rabbit, fresh thyme and Moroccan olives.

What is the strangest or most inspiring thing you’ve ever eaten?

I always get very excited when dishes include flower essences, like rose or lavender. I particularly enjoy Indian desserts with rose water, even though I far prefer savory dishes to sweet ones.

What was your favorite breakfast cereal as a kid?

Hands down, Captain Crunch. Not with crunch berries, not peanut butter crunch, just plain Captain Crunch. Followed closely by Fruity Pebbles, and Frosted Flakes.