Just last night I was talking with Mrs. Brave Astronaut (because its always about the next meal for us) that we should meet Mr. and Mrs. OSG for breakfast / lunch at "the diner" after church. We both knew what the "diner" meant. It meant Plato's in College Park. Were we on Long Island, I would have heard Alex Trebek's voice in my head, saying, "be more specific, please" as diners grow like weeds there. Granted the really good ones are run by Greeks (and on occasion, Italians) - and yes I know I'm stereotyping, but it's true in this case.
But if you are heading out, would you go to a place over another because the name is better? There are no lack of restaurants here in the DC area, they come and go with great regularity. Recently I found this "scholarly paper" that sought to draw some parallels between some restaurant names based on the food they serve. It's an interesting read.
From the introduction:
Coffee houses, restaurants and taverns are social retreats where people meet and eat, drink and converse, conduct business and celebrate family and professional occasions. The names of these gathering places are as diverse as the coffee, cocktails and cuisine which they serve to their customers. Their business names reflect the nature of the food or drink which they ply (China Buffet, Pizzeria Uno, Shaw's Crab House, Steak 'N' Egger), their proprietor's names (Harry Caray's, Michael Jordan's), or their geographic location (Bourbon Street Cafe, Chicago Chop House).
The names of others, however, constitute clever word plays (Once Upon a Thai, Thai Tanic and Thai Foon), or mimic proper names and literary characters (The Hearty Boys, Lawrence of Oregano), book titles (Tequila Mockingbird), commercial establishments (Grub Med Greek Ristorante, Lettuce Entertain You), ethnic designations and distortions (Bohemian Crystal, Carlos Murphys), humorous epithets (The Honest Lawyer, The Jewish Mother), films (Dog Day Afternoon), phrases (Relish the Thought), songs (Grill from Ipanema), and brand and trade name puns (Quaker Steak and Lube).
In this paper, examples of international onomastic appellations are presented which demonstrate that the names of contemporary dining and drinking establishments serve as semantic and/or humorous reflections of societal mores.
4 comments:
I once worked in a burger bar called "Filthy McNasty's" - no kidding.
Restaurant names don't typically affect my decision, but I do get a kick out of some. In Toronto my bus stop was right across from "Penne From Heaven." In Ft. Erie one restaurant that'd gone out of business was, "Seaman Jack's." (I wonder WHY. *LOL*) I also get a kick out of some Engrish signs. One we saw while in Austin for a Chinese Buffet proudly proclaimed that they were "Super and Best!" *L*
Restaurant names are pretty meaningless to me, unless it is someone's name. I figure if you have attached your own name to a place, wouldn't you try really hard to make it great, whether you are serving burgers or something so complicated I can't pronounce it? Clearly, this is not always the case, but a restaurant named after an owner or chef intrigues me--at first. After that, as with all restaurants, it's all about service, feeling welcome, and good food. Make me feel taken care of, make me feel like a regular, and make me want to try most of the other menu items on my next visit--then I promise will never forget that restaurant's name.
Kim - you must be kidding. Either that or that restaurant could not have been open very long.
Lana - There is a popular shish kabob place/chain here in DC that is called "Moby Dick - House of Kabob" I think is funny. The entendre is there but the image of one sitting down to whale kabobs is interesting.
RG - Always glad to have you comment over here. As I said, I thought you might have something to say. Your comment will dovetail nicely with a post I am planning on those times when "the customer is NOT always right." Come back soon!
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