Personality Test: Priory owner John Graf
John Graf got into the hospitality business when his parents, Ed and Mary Ann Graf of Ben Avon, bought a 19th-century former church and rectory in the city's historic Deutschtown district in 1984. Today, the former stopover for Benedictine Monks is the Priory, a 25-room European-style hotel with cozy, airy rooms and a leafy interior courtyard. It's part of the Priory Hospitality Group, which also includes the Grand Hall at the Priory and Priory Fine Pastries. Graf, the principal director of operations, also helped found Friends Against Counterproductive Taxation, a group opposed to the Allegheny County Drink Tax imposed in 2008. He serves on the boards of directors of the Pittsburgh Aviary, the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association and the Homeless Children's Education Fund. The Graf family recently broke ground on a new 10,000-square-foot expansion project that will add 17 rooms and a meeting and fitness center to the Priory.
The star who would play me in the movie version of my life and why:
Jeff Bridges - I'm told that we bear a resemblance, particularly from his role as the Dude in "The Big Lebowski"
Childhood hero and why:
Benjamin Franklin - I was always amazed at his ability to excel in so many fields
Pick one:
A. Jack Bauer of "24"
B. Angus MacGyver of "MacGyver"
C. James West of "Wild, Wild West"
D. Sydney Bristow of "Alias"
I would like to apply his philosophy to the business world. Somebody not giving you what you want⢠Torture it out of them.
In five years, I'd like to:
Preside over a larger Priory portfolio of businesses, including new banquet facilities and restaurants.
My favorite thing about Pittsburgh is:
I love the topography. Our hotel guests from all over the world marvel at the ever-changing hills, valleys and rivers.
If the TV is on at 2 a.m., I'm watching:
A re-run of "Little People, Big World" (as the father of two sons who are dwarfs, I like this)
Star I'd like to dance with on "Dancing With the Stars":
Hopefully Nancy Pelosi, after her retirement
Three people I'd love to have dinner with:
William F. Buckley, Barry Goldwater, Gerry Adams
After a long day, I like to relax with a (pick one):
A.Martini
B.Cold beer
C.Cabernet
D.Herbal tea
E.Hot chocolate
F.Red Bull
Except I like my martinis made with Jameson Whiskey and nothing else.
My quirkiest inherited trait:
Complete lack of a filter between my brain and my mouth
My best bar sport:
A. Pool
B. Darts
C. Air hockey
D. Beer pong
E. Other _Shuffleboard_ _______
It's the only game that uses sawdust.
My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:
Reuben (don't tell my cardiologist)
One word your mother would use to describe you:
Wiseacre.
Celebrity crush:
I have been in love with Dana Delaney for years.
The oldest thing in my refrigerator is:
Mayonnaise, possibly from the Clinton era.
My required snack in a movie theater is:
Popcorn slathered with butter flavored oil.
When I was 10, I wanted to be:
A police detective, just like Kojak.
Musical instrument I wish I could play.
Guys who play the guitar get all the chicks, rightâ¢
My favorite comfort food:
Chicken and dumplings with gravy.
Exercise I hate most:
Name one. That's it.
Vegetable I won't eat:
Corn is the one vegetable I will eat.
I'm deathly afraid of:
Chick flicks.
If I was auditioning for "American Idol," my song would be:
Something by Bob Dylan. We have a similar vocal range.
The first band I saw in concert (when and where):
Moody Blues, approximately 1980, at the Civic Arena
TV marathon you could watch all day and why:
"Hill Street Blues." It was the first television show that looked like a movie.
Favorite Pittsburgh-area landmark.
Clayton — it's like stepping into history.
Saturday mornings you'll find me:
Typically asleep if the kids will let me.
Best new gadget I've tried recently:
Satellite Radio. Life before it was like living in the Stone Age.
The person I'm most often mistaken for:
Somebody just said I look like Kenny Rogers.
Pick one:
A.Perry Mason
B.Denny Crane
C.Arnie Becker
D.Ally McBeal
The man never lost. Ever.
The worst advice I ever received:
Keep buying tech stocks - they'll rebound
In high school, I was:
Editor-in-chief of our school paper, where I got to opine about changing our school mascot's name, among other heady topics.
The most famous person I ever became friends with:
Kevin Joyce, my ally from the Drink Tax fight, is about as famous a person as I have ever been friends with. Which doesn't say much for how famous my friends are.
My most recent eBay purchase:
A bootleg DVD set of the 1970s TV series "Ghost Story." The seller taped the program by, literally, placing his video camera in front of his TV set.
Pick one:
A."Survivor"
B."Top Chef"
C."The Amazing Race"
D."Deal or No Deal"
"Survivor" is the one that's stacked with young women in bikinis, at least at the beginning.
The movie that always makes me cry:
"Field of Dreams" is the only one I'll admit to.
My most treasured fashion accessory is:
A silver Movado watch which my wife and daughter bought for my birthday last year. It is my one extravagance.
Pick one you love or hate:
A.Stripes
B.Polka dots
C.Plaid
D.Paisley
Love vertical stripes. They're slimming, I'm told.
What you'll always find in my glove compartment:
Tic Tacs. You never know when your breath needs a quick freshener.
My most embarrassing junk food:
Cheetos. Someone can always tell you've been eating them, too.
The last book I read:
"The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," by Michael Chabon. He is flat out the best American author out there.
It's not pizza without:
Pepperoni.
My favorite Pittsburgh pizza:
Sir Pizza, Ross Township. It's cut into squares, which is different.
Movie I could watch every time it appears on cable:
"All the President's Men." You know how it ends and still can't keep your eyes off of it.
My favorite Web site:
My most memorable fashion mistake:
In high school, I had taken to wearing an ascot for a period of time.
Pick one:
A."CSI"
B."NCIS"
C."JAG"
D."Law & Order: SVU"
"JAG" had a lot of explosions. I like that.
If I could live my life as someone else, it would be:
Bono seems to have it pretty good.
Pick one:
A.Emeril Lagasse
B.Paula Deen
C.Rachael Ray
D.Bobby Flay
Bobby's ego has sufficient thickness to withstand losing to amateur chefs in Throwdown every week.
My childhood nickname was:
Buckethead. I am told that I have a fairly large head in proportion to my body.
My favorite "bad" movie is:
"Striking Distance." Dreadful movie, but shows off Pittsburgh quite nicely.
My best karaoke song:
"Paradise by the Dashboard Lights," by Meatloaf. If only I could get my wife to sing it with me.
My first job:
I worked at the J&L Mill in Aliquippa during the summer of 1980. It's not as macho as it sounds, as I worked in the blueprint room, making copies, and never ventured into any place they made steel.
My worst job:
I dug ditches for a plumber one summer. That was hard work.
Pick one:
A.Miracle Whip
B.Hellmann's Mayonnaise
It's mayonnaise the way the French make it. 'Nuff said.
My favorite cable channel:
I watch an awful lot of Fox News Channel.
The song that always gets me out on the dance floor and why:
"Own Personal Jesus" by Depeche Mode. The beat is easy to follow, and the song takes me back to the late '80s.
Life would be better without:
"The View."
If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:
U2 (as a groupie) and Kings of Leon (for the groupies)
I never travel without my:
Hairspray. It's hard to keep my coif in place otherwise.
People would be surprised to know that I:
Interviewed Paul McCartney at the Plaza Hotel in 1984 for my college newspaper.
