What Roman Coppola Can’t Live Without

The essential steak sauce, in my opinion. It’s from Jamaica, so it has a bit of flair and a taste that suggests where it’s from. I’m only familiar with the original variety, but it’s just a really unique sauce and so excellent on whatever you might put steak sauce on. I also love the label, the colors, the design — it’s unchanged and doesn’t need to be changed, and I think that kind of consistency defines the things I value most. There’s so many fleeting things and so much rebranding these days, and I’m really drawn to the anchor of something classic. So when it comes to aesthetics, the appeal of just having the bottle on the table is something I value.

I live in North Beach in San Francisco, which is famous for its coffeehouses. Graffeo is North Beach’s oldest roastery, and it’s just a very enduring, classic brand. I love the packaging. I love that it’s family-run. And when you go into the shop, it’s always such a pleasant experience: the smell, and the sound of the grinding machine, and then they put it in this beautiful paper sack. I also love that they leave the empty bean sacks on the doorstep for kids to take, so I’ve gone by with my kids and we’ll take one and use it to go down the slide at the local park.

There’s only one location and it’s not widely publicized, but it’s very easy to set up an account and order from the website — they ship anywhere. When I was living in L.A., I was able to get it sent to me. I typically make it in a Bialetti moka pot, but I’m sure they can make the right grind for whatever style of coffee you prefer.

I don’t remember a precise introduction to this candle; it was just something that was always around — at least in our house. I associate it with growing up in the ’70s, and it evokes memories of classy, beautiful settings. And again, what I love is literally the whole package: It comes in a box that has a sort of zebra pattern on it. The candle is tied with a red ribbon. When you take it out, it smells amazing — it’s cypress, which is such a wonderful and almost indescribable smell. And it burns perfectly evenly.

Lighting a candle in the evening is not something I do regularly, but it’s something small that makes a special moment, just one of those extra things that enhances your life through its frivolous quality. I getthe largeone for home andthe smallto travel with. If you’re in New York, go toZitomerto buy.

I don’t really know how long this has been around, but I discovered it somewhat recently. It has a lot of virtues: First, you get twice as many shots, which is tangible in modern times because film and processing costs a lot, so this is basically half-price. The fact that it has a smaller negative surface means the grain is heightened, so there’s a quality you get that’s really distinctive. It’s quite inexpensive, so it’s a great value, and unlike a disposable camera, you can select whatever film you’d like. With 36 photos, it’s like, “Oh, I’m going to take one.” But with 72, you know what? I’ll take two or three. It invites you to take more. It’s a fun toy, it’s so easy to acquire, it has such great dividends — and it looks cute.

Teuscher is a famous chocolatier from Zurich, but my exposure to it is from a shop in downtown San Francisco that’s an outlet for the brand. I was in there one day and met the guy who either owns the shop or runs it, and he mentioned that the chocolates get shipped in every week from Switzerland. What I find particularly compelling are these littlegift boxesthey make that are designed around certainholidaysanddifferentthemes:Easter,Christmas, but they also make these really uniqueanthropomorphic boxesandyou can put intruffles, marzipan, candied fruits,whatever they’re offering. It’s just very charming, and, again, it speaks to my interest in that sort of frivolous delight — in this case, a beautiful chocolate in a beautiful box, decorated with such whimsy and color. It just makes me happy. I will habitually go into the shop and get a chocolate-covered orange to eat, and then if it’s a holiday or someone’s birthday, I’ll get a box. I’ve gotten so many for my kids. You can also call upthe shopand have one sent.

The company is actually called C. Howard’s, but it’s just known as Choward’s. Sometimes I’ll see it in California in a nostalgic candy shop, but I don’t like to buy it here. I want to buy it in New York. To me, it’s a token of a place, one of those things I remember as a kid, and it ticks all my boxes. The flavor is kind of indescribable, this weird, perfumy smell. Back in the day, the box had a shiny silver foil on it, and now it’s just kind of gray, but otherwise they haven’t changed anything. It’s perennial, it’s enduring. It advertises itself as the gum you chew after smoking, and I always thought that was interesting. I was just in New York and bought two packs. Ideally, you want to buy it from a little newsstand, either at a subway stop or on the street, but those are becoming less and less common, so I went toEconomy Candy.

Charvetis a very iconicshirtmaker, and they also sellpajamas,socks,otherbeautiful stuff, all top of the top. Andthe beltsare just — everything’s right about them. The width is perfect. With belts, I sometimes find the buckle is out of proportion or too wide, but this one is just right. They’re elastic, so they’re very versatile, but they have this little leather trim, so it’s casual but with a slight formality. It also has a little touch of color, which I think is fun. I have a green one anda blue onethat’s actually sort of worn out, so I need to replace it. And they’re not widely available, which makes them all the more alluring.

My colleague Johan Chiaramonte and I are the two founding publishers-slash-editors, and our slogan is“For the Curious Enthusiast.”It’s a culture magazine, but it’s also a conversation. We seek out people who are enthusiastic and have an array of interests, and then we do a deep dive into all their personal passions, their hobbies, everything that makes them tick, and then we build the rest of the issue around all of those subjects.Our most recent cover subject was Jeff Goldblum, and the articles were about the movies that influence him, the clothing and music that impress him, the football team he loves. Our prior issue wasLuca Guadagnino, who’s a filmmaker but also an interior designer; before that, we hadChristian and Branco, who play guitar in the band Phoenix but are also sake aficionados. Our next issue is out in October and features Debbie Harry and Chris Stein from Blondie. These people who have so many interests in so many diverse ways are the whole raison d’être of the magazine. We’re not online, and we’re very much committed to being a print magazine, so it’s a labor of love. But we’re also supported by some wonderful sponsors that value what we’re doing in the cultural space, and we’re getting a lot of appreciation, which is all wonderful.