By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Tribune and other outlets
June 13, 2023
For Kearran Giovanni, travel has always played a huge part in her relationship with discovering delicious food. “My family knows [that] I don’t eat breakfast … except in Mexico,” said the actress, known for her roles in “Walker,” “American Soul” and “Major Crimes.” “Mexican breakfast is one of my most favorite meals. The cheeses, homemade corn tortillas, meat stews, huevos rancheros. Give it to me! I am very lucky that my parents exposed me to all kinds of food. My dad traveled internationally for work and would come home and declare we needed to try XYZ and we would. Very lucky kid.” Based in Los Angeles, she keeps in touch with her fans on social media where she goes by the username @kearrangiovanni.
Q: I understand you will be traveling to Japan later this year. Have you been there before?
A: We are so excited for Japan. None of us have ever been and so it’s very exciting to discover this place as a family. We didn’t really take our kids on sightseeing trips until a few years ago. We just thought it didn’t make sense for us financially or time wise if they weren’t going to remember it. We started with Italy, then Paris and London. Japan was my husband’s idea. It was on his bucket list and he fought for it because of the culture. We think it will really be a place that is just worlds away from anything we have seen. That is something we want our kids to see – ancient traditions, temples and sushi. We all love sushi. Really excited for it all.
Q: As a visible minority, are you deterred from visiting certain places?
A: Not really. I’m Black and I grew up in the South, so I can only say that I’ve heard certain countries aren’t friendly to minorities. But honestly, I’ve felt unwelcome in places within my own country my whole life so nothing can shock me at this point. It wouldn’t stop me.
Q: When you travel alone, what do you do to ensure your safety?
A: I haven’t traveled alone for vacation, but I do travel alone for work quite often. Canada, Atlanta, Austin. For safety, I always park in well-lit areas, share my location with my husband and, if I can, get in touch with a friend in the area and go out and about together.
Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?
A: That’s so hard. I love so many places for so many reasons. Somewhere far. I would say Florence. It’s a beautiful city with so much history and, of course, amazing food. Head out of town to Cortona — a little town where “Under the Tuscan Sun” was filmed — and have the best meal of your life. Somewhere close: Cabo. It is two hours away [and] has something for everyone. Incredibly friendly people. And, Mexican breakfast!
Q: Where are some of the locations you’ve filmed at and what were those experiences like?
A: That’s a great question. It really depends on the project. When I worked on “Designated Survivor,” I was in Toronto in the middle of a winter storm and it was in the negatives. But I wasn’t that busy during the day and the food scene there is incredible. We hit the needle, had a fabulous meal at Grey Gardens and walked some — the best shopping street I’ve ever seen! But, yes, there are times when you roll in, you shoot 14 to 16 hour days, you are exhausted and you just pray your hotel has room service and a bar.
Q: What was the first trip you took as a child? And did you love it, or not so much?
A: We didn’t get to travel much as kids. My parents worked and we were also busy kids. I still remember one of our only vacations was driving to Branson, Missouri, to see Barbara Mandrell. Very glamorous. However, when I graduated from high school my father was offered a job in Indonesia. So as a kid my summers were spent in Jakarta, Singapore, Bangkok, Bali — it was life-changing.
Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?
A: To see the sites, but then live like you live there. Go where the locals go, be spontaneous sometimes.
Q: If you could only pick one place to eat, would you prefer a food truck or fine dining?
A: I have to say fine dining. Don’t get me wrong, I love a food truck, but there is something about the special feeling of fine dining. That someone set the table just for you. One of my very favorites is The Modern in New York. Fine dining without ever feeling snobby. And they have normal size portions and a chocolate cart that comes around at the end. I mean, come on!
Q: If you’ve ever gone away for the holidays, which was the best trip?
A: We trade off going to Houston, where I’m from, and New York, where my husband is from, for Thanksgiving. Seeing the tree go up in Rockefeller Center is so special. For Christmas we usually go up to Park City to ski and get some snow. It is absolutely gorgeous and gets us into the holiday spirit.
Q: Do you speak any foreign languages?
A: I speak enough Spanish to get by, but I understand much more. I would say I do pick up [foreign languages], but my problem is that because I studied dialects in college, oftentimes my accent makes people think I’m fluent.
Q: What are your five favorite cities?
A: New York, London, Florence, Bangkok, Cabo.
Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?
A: I dream of seeing the Northern Lights. Next stop Iceland.
Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?
A: A great carry-on bag. I need to fit a change of clothes and most of my toiletries in it. And way more underwear than you think you’ll need.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?
A: Street food! I absolutely love finding wherever the street area is and trying everything. Austin is great for that, as is Thailand.
Q: What is your best and/or worst vacation memory?
A: Worst: Branson, Missouri. Fourteen hours in an Oldsmobile with my two older brothers. I don’t think I need to say any more. Best: Italy with my family. We surprised my Italian husband for his 50th birthday and did Rome, Florence and Venice and even got to see our niece in Florence. It was magical!
© 2023 JAE-HA KIM
DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.
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