Why I like restaurants with one-word names
If you knew how many rude e-mails I get every day, you would understand why I sometimes get cranky on this blog.
It's like people who create computer viruses, as the Zen Master pointed out this morning when I told him about Phil's e-mail complaining about my Volt review. Some folks just like adding a minor bit of unhappiness to the world's general pool.
I particularly enjoyed this comment of Phil's: ...
A friend of mine said some time ago that you're a sucker for restaurants with trendy one-syllable names, no matter the quality of the food or service. Have you perhaps lost your perspective---or your good judgment?
If he meant I like restaurants where the owners and chefs are familiar with restaurants and cooking trends in LA and New York (including the trend of naming restaurants with one word), he's right.
If he meant I like restaurants where they are willing to take chances -- and fail sometimes -- to produce imaginative food using good, fresh ingredients, then, yes, I'm a sucker for that.
Do I allow them some leeway for what they're attempting to do, and am I sorry when we lose them (like Ixia, Bicycle and Dogwood) and think Baltimore is a poorer place for their loss? Then yes.
Do I like the trend of one-word restaurant names?
As I said in a post more than a year ago, "This oh-so-cutting-edge trend of interesting-sounding but only vaguely relevant one-word names for new restaurants could get old fast."
(Algerina Perna/Sun photographer)
Comments
To hell with one-word names... there's not enough punctuation in restaurant names, I say! "b..." seems to have lost its ellipses... but at least "13.5%" has picked up a couple of punctuation marks for us.
When I create a restaurant, it's ONLY going to have punctuation marks...no letters. I'm thinking of naming it "." or "?" just to make it impossible to find with a web search!
Posted by: Zevonista | October 27, 2009 11:46 AM
Unfortunately, youve been beaten to the punch.
Alinea and schwa are two restaurants (great, if not overly avant garde for many) in Chicago, which are name after single characters.
Posted by: sue veed | October 27, 2009 12:07 PM
!
Posted by: jl | October 27, 2009 12:29 PM
Sigh, guess my great idea is already taken. I gotta start copyrighting them early in the game!
Thanks for the idea, jl, I'll make sure to name a special after you when ! opens...
Posted by: Zevonista | October 27, 2009 12:46 PM
This is the perfect time to announce my newest venture: A restaurant that brings together dishes you know and love in an awesome new way.
For example: A grilled cheese sandwich served on artisan bread. Each crater on the top slice of bread will be filled with a tiny bit of tomato soup. Delish!
The name of this awesome new concept?
'Combo'
Posted by: Sam Sessa | October 27, 2009 1:26 PM
_
Posted by: sean | October 27, 2009 1:52 PM
Enlightening.
Posted by: Bob | October 27, 2009 2:13 PM
And Sam, we'll all be able to tell when the place is slipping after the menu is revamped, a new chef is hired, and the focus is now on... Combos - the Meal That's Not a Meal.
Posted by: sean | October 27, 2009 2:17 PM
THE
Where Fine Dining meets the...
Posted by: Bob | October 27, 2009 2:23 PM
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | October 27, 2009 3:13 PM
I remember wandering around New York with my sister when I was 17 and noticing all these one-word named restaurants, and I told her, one day I'm going to open my own restaurant and it's going to be called "Boobs." Cause everyone likes boobs!
The dream is still alive.
Posted by: Corey | October 27, 2009 3:33 PM
Corey - Aren't you worried people might confuse you with Hooters?
Posted by: Trixie | October 27, 2009 3:41 PM
Oops, doesn't like my response.........
Posted by: Alexander D. Mitchell IV | October 27, 2009 3:46 PM
Trixie, no. Boobs will not be gimmicky. There will be no boob-shaped panna cottas. The food, the service, and the interior design will have nothing to do with breasticles.
If your food is good enough, over time people view your faults as lovable quirks. That is what's going to happen here.
Plus the word boobs is funnier than the word hooters, and it's not some lame, PC, indirect attempt to point to what it's trying to say. Boobs is boobs.
Posted by: Corey | October 27, 2009 4:12 PM
I forgot to mention that Boobs will be a high class dining establishment, the kind of place where they ask you what kind of water you want.
Posted by: Corey | October 27, 2009 4:14 PM
Alrighty then. As long as you invite us all to your soft opening!
Posted by: Trixie | October 27, 2009 4:16 PM
"Alrighty then. As long as you invite us all to your soft opening!" Trixie
Yes please do..keep us abreast of what is happening!
Posted by: Anon | October 27, 2009 4:45 PM
I bet Corey's restaurant will be a perky place...
Posted by: Anon | October 27, 2009 5:23 PM
I find it difficult to believe that a place named "Boobs" would have a *soft* opening.
Of course, I could be a titwit.
Posted by: Lissa | October 27, 2009 7:11 PM
Well, it is agreed, boobs are funny.
It is one of those words that you can't help but smile when you say it, and I normally follow it up with a round of Homer Simpson's "tee-hees".
Posted by: Robert of Cross Keys | October 27, 2009 7:38 PM
Oh for Pete's sake. Given that e-mail, I think that we will all understand a little crankiness now and again.
Posted by: Greg | October 27, 2009 8:58 PM
Thanks for the mammaries.
Posted by: jl | October 27, 2009 9:38 PM
I'm thinking that by tomorrow morning, this entire post will need to be deleted.
I'm actually thinking of making it the Comment of the Week. EL
Posted by: Laura Lee | October 27, 2009 10:03 PM
Bonus points (two of them) to jl.
Posted by: Dahlink | October 28, 2009 6:20 AM
Aw, come on, Laura Lee! You know the doctors are always telling us we have to pay more attention to boobs.
Raise your arm and circles, now, girls.
Posted by: Lissa | October 28, 2009 6:22 AM
At Boobs, the servers all wear these cute little head scarves known as Boobuschkas, along with baby blue Boobs bibs.
Posted by: Michael A. Gray | October 28, 2009 7:26 AM
Nice idea. My restaurant is going to be called "Weiners" and all the servers are going to be young men in tight shorts with hot dogs printed on the front.
Posted by: Baltofoodie | October 28, 2009 9:23 AM
Corey is finally going to get a Comment of the Week?
It must be a cold day in Hell.
Posted by: Bob | October 28, 2009 9:28 AM
Lets not get ahead of ourselves here Bob. I've put my heart out there and been burned in the recent past. I'm not counting my chickens before they're breaded and deep fried.
Posted by: Corey | October 28, 2009 10:05 AM
I don't think EL would tease you like that, Corey. I think you are a lock.
Posted by: Bob | October 28, 2009 11:15 AM
Where was this photo taken? The space looks perfect for a party.
Posted by: K | October 30, 2009 10:09 AM
K -- Mousing over the pic says it is the Volt Conservatory.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 30, 2009 10:48 AM