The Name Game: a pause for reflection

2 weeks have passed since I brought you all into the process of selecting a name for my restaurant. I hope you're still having fun! To be honest, I didn't expect it to go on this long. I was positive one of those original 6 new names would be a winner. But that's not what happened, is it? I look back at those names through fresh eyes and wonder what I was thinking. Castropoda?

I'm discovering that this whole Name Game is not just about choosing a name for my restaurant. It's revealing a lot to me about the current state of my mind and heart. Your comments, emails, and votes in the polls have helped me see that I'm stranded on a sandbar at low tide. I'm having trouble connecting with my joyful heart.

The events of the past 6 months have momentarily clouded over that feeling of sunshine. My heart just isn't in the mood to listen to Julie Andrews sing Olallie to the tune of Do Re Mi. It would rather punk out to John McRea of Cake barking "foc i fum" to the tune of Nugget.

I know that those dark clouds are only a part of me. The storm will pass. It already is passing. While the storm's here, though, I figure I might as well sing and dance in the rain. Embrace the storm's fierce power rather than try to pretend like it isn't here. If every day were sunny, how boring would that be? I moved from southern California for a reason.

I spent quite a bit of time this past weekend soaking up some sunshine at the Green Festival. I basked in the positive, upbeat messages of some of my heroes, including visionary activist/trickster Caroline Casey and the soulful Gary Zukav. Zukav reminded the audience that we are the creators of our own experience. We create with our intentions by choosing which part of our personalities we feed: fear or love.  To change the collective consciousness of the world, we each need to change ourselves. We need to challenge the fearful, angry parts and cultivate the loving, caring parts.

Maybe it's a tall order, but I would love it if the name of my restaurant could convey that kind of positive message in some subtle indirect way. I want it to connect with those loving, caring, nurturing parts that, in me at least, are currently obscured by clouds.

After 2 weeks of the Name Game, I don't necessarily feel much closer to discovering a name for my restaurant. But I do see that the tide is rising. I'm starting to get some clarity.

Here's a sketch of my current thoughts.

• I prefer for the name to be in English, a language which I know and love intimately, over languages that I merely have a crush on (Spanish or Catalan).
• I prefer a non-food word or phrase, words that can serve as a metaphor.
• I would prefer that the metaphor pointed to Spain/Catalonia in a subtle way.
• My highest priority is a name that conveys the positive role and message of my restaurant: its connection to the earth, its roots in the community, its role in the farm-to-table food chain. (The name that conveys this eco-message aspect the best so far is Viridian. Or, dare I say it, Olallie).
• Ideally, I would also like the name to capture the joy of sharing the table with friends. Cooking and dining is more than a delicious revolution. It's a celebration of life. It is an expression of our love.
• Wouldn't it be great if the name could accomplish all that and not take itself too seriously?
• And be feminine and melodious.
• And inspire culinary adventure. I say, if you're going to bother to try at all, you might as well shoot for the stars.

So, that's the task. Simple enough, no?

Remember, though, that this is just a game! We're not trying to cure cancer here. We're only trying to come up with a name for a little neighborhood restaurant. And, in the end, the name of the restaurant is only of minor importance compared to the food, service, and ambience. Only continue to play along if you are in the mood.

Hopefully my fickleness isn't alienating any of you. I'm simply trying to share my creative process in as open and honest a way as possible. It's much more self-revealing than I thought it would be. Less linear, more messy and chaotic. I'm feeling a touch exposed, naked, and raw. This may sound crazy, but in my recent experience, that feeling of rawness is good news! The primal, creative energy is at hand. It's only a matter of time before the magic will strike.

Let's take a few days off and then regroup. Unfortunately I have some rather nasty business to attend to later this week relating to that less delicious topic I hinted at a few paragraphs ago. It's demanding all my attention and, like it or not, keeping my own personal tides of creativity at bay.

In the mean time, if the Muse whispers in your ear, don't hesitate to leave any new suggestions in the comments of this post!

Comments

[Anita C.]

All fingers crossed that your nasty business comes out as well as can be.

[matt]

you'll be in our thoughts and we are sending big old giant gay hugs from Southern California :)

[Tracy]

I know you're relatively new as a Noe Valley resident, but you might have heard of Herb's Fine Foods, a little greasy spoon that had been open for decades that suddenly closed down a couple of months ago. Well, Herb's had a peculiar sign out front that was meant to say "open" but because of size constraints was put on an angle, making it look like "nepo." It was a running joke for years that Herb's was nepo. Just a thought. It makes me smile.

[Judith]

I have been trying to figure out what this naming kriya reminds me of, and I have an idea as to why you're not having much luck so far resonating with anything. It's like naming my son was. I went into delivery without any names picked out, with no ideas and no list. Why? Because I simply couldn't pick a name before I'd met him.

I think you need to meet your restaurant before making a decision. Watch the construction, see how it feels, and hang out in the space. Play with the lists you've made, and eventually, your heart will choose the name, not your head. And having this week's business behind you will help.

Don't push the river. You don't have to decide now. Wait for your heart.

[Diane]

I was going to say pretty much the same thing as judith, but she said it so well, I'll just say..."what she said!" - give it time and let it come from your heart.

[brett]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. Tracy, I love Nepo. If there weren't already a Nopa I'd strongly consider it.

[Towse]

I suggested "àvia" ("grandmother") elsewhere (back in the first list of suggestions).

Have you thought about (and discarded) "open–hearth"? "hearth"? "embers"? "lento"?

I know if we just keep throwing suggestions out there, you will fall in love with one of them. ...

Good luck with your business.

Get rest.

[Nicole]

Alienated by your fickleness? No Sir. We are instead smitten with your tenacity and humanity. Thank you for letting us participate in this wonderful endeavor , Brett. We'll do our best to help you " Shoot for the stars " !

[june2]

For a spin on Veridian, which sounds too harsh to me, how about Verdure?

I see the restaurant design with that one too, incase your interested.

[barbara]

If only finding a cure for cancer was this much fun, we'd have it yesterday. As Olallie is out of favour I'm suggesting in English LIFE (or maybe Vida or Vida Fresca).

[art]

Wow.

Vida.

That's a good one.

Sounds nice, very symbolic.

[Kua]

What about Sardana instead of Sardina? It isn't English, but it isn't hard to pronounce, and the dance makes a great metaphor for community, celebration, a slow life, etc...

[gwinn]

I, too, want to chime in and thank you for allowing us to be part of this process. In a previous life, I did a lot of brand identity research and creative concepting, and it is hard! So many reactions based on idiosyncractic and usually undefinable internal triggers make it extremely difficult to come up with something -- one thing -- that will resonate with everyone.

Good luck.

P.S. Has someone already suggested "Farm Fare" or "Kitchen Fare"? I'm a big fan of "Open Kitchen" too. The kitchen is my favorite room in any house, and it immediately makes one/me think, "good things come from that place."

[Dr. Biggles]

Well, of course my first thought when you sent out the email was, "Meathenge the Restaurant". Something a little Mel Brooksy, ya know?

I'm seeing a clean white sign, about 5 feet across and 3 feet wide. 1 single spot light pointing to, "Fork You". Or maybe, "The Concave Spoon"? TCS, catchy non?

Maybe it's better that I keep to myself.

Biggles

[Jax]

Just a suggestion, but when narrowing it down, don't forget to have a name that potential patrons can actually spell correctly. I work in telecommunications and when it comes to directory assistance, a customer won't find your address or phone number if they can't spell it to the operator.

[dennisw]

Restaurant name suggestions:

-Communique-

-Once Upon a Time in Cataluña-

Inevitably people will start calling the place Cataluña

[art]

Dr. Biggles,

yooo kwayzy!

Me likes your site.

[bebe]

Rain

[SlobDog]

No worries. Just think this will be but one of your fabulous restaurant locations - you'll get another chance to name your next creation!

Julevert sticks out in my mind, Avia Embers, Fork You, Open Kitchen, Nepo is short and sweet - these are just a few of many that sound nice - glad I'm not making this decision.

Time to snack on some fontana cheese.

[Rachel]

Don't know why I was thinking of this in the middle of the night, but here is what came to me:

Agri (with an accent on the i), because it sounds both like Agree, which is a convivial term, and short for Agriculture...and it starts with A

Gather...for obvious reasons

Allium...the family of plants that includes onions, etc, and the ever important garlic...and it's another A

Leaf, I like this one because is has double meaning. The obvious, a link to nature, but the less obvious, is that a leaf is what you put in a table to make room for more friends..

The question I was wondering was if the name has a numerical start, is it listed above A on opentable? If so, are there any names with numbers that strike you?

[Rachel]

Don't know why I was thinking of this in the middle of the night, but here is what came to me:

Agri (with an accent on the i), because it sounds both like Agree, which is a convivial term, and short for Agriculture...and it starts with A

Gather...for obvious reasons

Allium...the family of plants that includes onions, etc, and the ever important garlic...and it's another A

Leaf, I like this one because is has double meaning. The obvious, a link to nature, but the less obvious, is that a leaf is what you put in a table to make room for more friends..

The question I was wondering was if the name has a numerical start, is it listed above A on opentable? If so, are there any names with numbers that strike you?

[bron]

A Few Chairs Missing

[Doug]

Wow - that is a tall order :)

What about something that incorporates Forage -- like Forager, Foraging?

It conveys the sense of looking and finding and a sense of the great outdoors and wholesomeness??

[Bonnie]

I have gone through this same sort of mind-f&*@ trying to come up with a title for a novel in progress, a way to represent years of work and inspiration and frustration. I think it's important to get it right. I also think it's critical to listen to yourself, and not let all the chatter and opinions you've solicited confuse you. A lot of expectant parents I know don't tell anyone the kids' name, just so they don't have to hear people's impressions.

I think both Casolano and Veridian sound, on just a gut level, like classy Mediterranean-inspired places. Olallie is more placeful, and since most people won't know what it means, also works on just an ambient, feminine, cozy-not-stuffy way. Trying to incorporate all these abstract concepts such as openness and farm-to-fork (as much as I applaud that!) can't really be done without resorting to clunkers like Agrariana (there's one in DC). I like Hearth a lot, but it's actually kind of clunky to say. I like Vida too.

Good luck with it all -- you know, there are plenty of beloved restaurants with terrible names (I would put Acme, Boulette's Larder, and Millennium into that category). With your cooking, you just have to get people in the door once!

[Marc]

What about these names?
"Allioli": Catalan sauce containing garlic, salt and olive oil.
"Sofregit": onion fried slowly in good olive oil (not much), with a little tomato (and optionally garlic).
"Suquet": excellent dish cooked by fishermen working along the Catalan coast. Simply good fish, potatoes, tomatoe, some green pepper, ..., and finished with some allioli.
Good luck in your new project!