One of Us: Tony Luke

The singer, actor and, most famously, man behind the cheesesteak just got back from launching a Bahrain outpost of Tony Luke’s (no joke). Next up: two more locations, in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Here, he opens up about his plan for world peace via Whiz, his (sort of) political aspirations, and the psychic who changed his life

My full name is … Anthony Lucidonio Jr.

I am … a sort of Renaissance man.

I’ve lived in Philadelphia for … all of my life. (And nice try, I’m not telling you my age.)

The thing that I like most about myself is … my willingness to always be learning and bettering myself.

The thing I would change about myself is … my difficulty in controlling my weight.

My most treasured possession is … my grandfather’s scapular and my grandmother’s St. Christopher medal. I wear them both, together, in a locket, and I never take it off.

Roast pork or cheesesteak? Love them both equally.

My favorite spot in this city is … a tie between Penn’s Landing in the summertime and Rittenhouse Square.

The question I get asked the most is … believe it or not, “Who has the best cheesesteak in Philly?”

The best book I ever read is … There is a River: The Story of Edgar Cayce, about a man known as “the sleeping prophet.” It was a revelation to me. It changed everything.

My greatest fear is … dying without making a difference.

Right now, I’m excited about … Eat for Peace. The idea came to me while I was in the Middle East. People started cooking for me, and we got to talking about their food, and then my food, and suddenly, we were understanding each other. We’re all the same. I want to encourage young people to sit and eat with someone different from them. April 11. Eat for Peace Day.

The thing that people generally don’t know about me is … I’m a singer/songwriter. I’ve worked with Motown, sung at Madison Square Garden and been in a studio with George Clinton.

The best thing on TV is … Sons of Anarchy and Royal Pains.

The person I most envy is … I don’t envy anyone, and I never have. That’s the truth.

I say all the time that … I wish the government would let people take responsibility for their own actions.

My greatest achievement is … my children. I have three boys.

I always take my out-of-town guests to … the High Note Cafe at 13th and Tasker.

If I could switch places with one person for a day, it’d be … the president.

The skill I most wish I had is … a three-octave singing range.

The best dish I make is … my ziti Michael. Chicken and veal in white wine with mozzarella and ziti. It’s named for my son.