Celebrity Travel: Go Away With Dan Lauria

A. New York. Toronto. I ate the best food outside of America there. It's right up there with New York, then Boston, Chicago and San Francisco. They all have great food. I love San Francisco theaters. I love that they do new plays. It just feels like a city. Los Angeles doesn't.

Q. What are some of your favorite restaurants?

A. La Bruschetta in Toronto. I lived in Toronto for a year and ate there all the time. It wasn't even near where I was staying, but it was worth the effort to get there. The best pizza in the world isn't in New York or Chicago. It's in New Haven. I don't even stick up for my home state when it comes to pizza, because these two are just so good: Sally’s Apizza or Pepe’s. I met President Clinton and we were talking about New Haven. When I was leaving, I shook his hand and he pulled me back and said, "Peppe's or Sally's?" I said Peppe's and he said, "That's too bad. I'm a Sally's guy." I told him, "That's OK. I'll vote for you anyways." (Laughs) When I brought Fred Savage to Peppe's, he said, "You're right, Dan. It's the best."

Q. Where was the first state you traveled to for your plays?

A. Connecticut. Then Virginia, North Carolina, Chicago, New York quite a bit. I love Chicago, because it's one of the few cities where new writing is encouraged. They don't just perform revivals. I love Joe Mantegna and Gary Sinise and Steppenwolf Theatre.

Q. What U.S. cities would you like to get to next?

A. St. Louis. I've never been to Missouri. I'd like to go to Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa. If they don't shoot liberals, I'd like to go through some Red States. (Laughs) I technically was in Hawaii, but only for a few hours on the way to other places. I've never been to Alaska.

Q. Do you get recognized when you're on the road?

A. Yes, but the people recognizing me now are getting older. They watched me on "The Wonder Years" when they were kids and they're in their 40s now. They will probably watch the DVDs with their kids.

Q. What things from home do you bring when you travel?

A. Just pictures. I have a frame for three pictures, and I have photos of my godson and (actresses) Wendie Malick and Judith Light. Those are my two girls. I love being on stage with them.

Q. What is your favorite weekend getaway?

A. I like doing charity events. Dennis Farina, Joe Mantegna and I made a commitment to Frank Sinatra to always go to his charity golf tournaments. I've missed very few since he died. It's nice to see old friends. It was held in Palm Springs, but now it's in Indio. It's sad and wonderful at the same time. It's sad that very few people who were attending when we started 25 years ago are there anymore -- Claude Akins, Chuck Connors, Frank. ... Last year was sad for me and Joe because Dennis wasn't there. Dennis was a sweetheart. Whenever he was in L.A., he came to every play that I did. He loved acting, but would rather be having a bowl of pasta and talking to his friends.

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Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.