The Name Game: Ca'l Brett

Help me name my future restaurant! I'd love to hear what you think of some names I've come up with... and I'd be tickled if you'd share your suggestions for a name. EVERY DAY I'LL POST A NEW NAME. Please express your honest opinions in the poll and leave comments. Thanks for playing the Name Game!

Photo of Barcelona's Cal Pep by Kees DeVos.

Our seventh and final contestant from the names I came up with is Ca'l Brett [Note: at 11 am I edited the post from the original spelling of Cal Brett, due to comments left by readers]. This is not the final name choice, however. Tomorrow I will feature a vote amongst the top three names that I've come up with. Then, Thursday I'll list some names that didn't make my final cut... but perhaps should have. Sunday and Monday I'll introduce you to my favorites from amongst the many fantastic and creative names that you have suggested! Hope you're all still having as much fun with the Name Game as I am.

The Story:

Ca'l Brett means "Brett's house" in Catalan.

In one sense, the name is an homage to Cal Pep, a favorite Barcelona tapas bar that, like my restaurant, has lots of seating at the kitchen counter. By happy coincidence, Ca'l can also be seen as referring to California and California cuisine.

(For you language geeks out there, in Catalan the use of cal parallels that of chez in French and is often used in restaurant names. Ca is a contraction of casa de. The addition of the "l" to cal comes from the personsal masculine article el, which is often added before men's names to indicate familiarity). It can be written both as cal and ca'l.

Pros:

Catalan name: strong connection to my cooking influences from Spain and her Mediterranean neighbors.

Similarity to Cal Pep: connection to Barcelona, tapas style of eating, dining at kitchen counter. The chef in the above photo is Josep "Pep" Manubens.

Ca'l: connection to California and California cuisine (sometimes called Cal-Med). My "field to fork" focus reflects that California sensibility.

Brett: this is an intensely personal restaurant, the culmination of my life experiences, tastes, beliefs, values. It's my vision of what a neighborhood restaurant can and should be. I will serve the food that I love to eat and serve to my friends. As I mentioned in the concept, my intention is that guests will feel like they're coming over to my home for dinner.

Simple and easy to remember, spell, and pronounce.

Cons:

Somewhat uncomfortable having my name as the name of the restaurant. I see myself as kind of a humble guy with a self-deprecating sense of humor. (Or perhaps that was the old me?) Either way, I don't see myself as on par with other chefs who have opened eponymous restaurants, like Gary Danko, Jean-Georges, Daniel, Bouley, etc. I firmly believe restaurants are collaborative efforts and are all about team work. If I call my restaurant "Brett's house," I'm concerned that the name will negatively impact my co-workers's sense of empowerment. Some days I love this name, others I'm not so sure.

Not sure how Ca'l Brett sounds to people not familiar with Catalan. I know almost nobody will get the Catalan connection until they are told (which isn't such a big deal. Who knew what A16 stood for when it opened?). What did Ca'l Brett evoke to you before I told you the Catalan meaning? Did it sound positive or negative or something else?

There was a cool coincidence with this name. A reader named Pep, who I believe is from Catalonia, left a comment last Thursday suggesting this name as well. We agreed to "unpublish" the comment until after I published this post. In an email message Pep wrote: "I was thinking of it because as you know [Ca'l Brett] is the Catalan version of Casa Brett. A lot of small and traditional eateries are named like that. And I think it has some honesty that I find very charming."

What do you think? Take the poll and leave your comments. And remember, each comment counts as a raffle ticket in a drawing for a free dinner for two at my future restaurant (scheduled to open mid 2008).

Helpful links:

The restaurant's concept
Suggested guidelines for comments
Suggest your own name idea here

Comments

[Adele]

I like this better than the choices of the past few days, though I admit my first reaction was "Who's Cal?" Easy to spell and pronounce is a huge point in its favor.

[sam]

No! It sound's like you are some member of an American college football team. Please, no.
Olallie is beginning to look desirable again in the light of these other names.

[Kalyn]

I always did like the name Olallie, and every day I kept waiting to see if there was a name I liked more. None until this one. I do really like Cal Brett, although maybe not more than Olallie. Anyway, those would be my top two!

However, I see Sam hates it, and since I'm not from SF maybe she is more in tune with restaurant names there.

[Judith]

I think this is fate. Last night I was thinking that the best name would be "Brett's Place" since this is so much a personal place. But then I ruled it out because it had no real pizazz and seemed like one of those last resort names lacking in imagination. And here it is, in a perfect form. I like the double meaning of Cal, I like that you're in it. Short, easy to remember, easy to say, not too cute, but with hidden depth. Winner!!!

[Jack at Fork & Bottle]

I was dwelling on this idea yesterday. House of Brett, Emerson, Food & Fire, etc., and, well, nothing was striking me as a winner. Cal Brett does sound more like a college sports team than a restaurant.

Might I suggest a round 2 of the name game, with a focus on words that describe your food/restaurant, and then figure out the pair that go best together? I thinking of words like Hearth, Fire, Sardines, Home, (and, well, you create this list). Love & Sardines? S.S. Hearthfire? Watch Food Cook? (Food is not right.)

And, there's still always a name based on a clever play of the address of your restaurant - always great for reminding people where it is.

[Brian]

I agree with Sam. The "Cal" part doesn't translate well, I don't think, given that stateside, it's short for California.

[art]

"California Brett's"

That's how I read it.

It's slightly better than the others.

[art]

"California Brett's"

That's how I read it.

It's slightly better than the others.

[Anita]

I love-love-love the idea, but I'm not in love with the end result.

I do like Jack's suggestion of Emerson, mostly because the only 'cons' I can think of are omissions, not commissions. (It doesn't say local or catalan, but it is easily spelled and pronounced and rolls trippingly off the tongue.)

I don't think you should worry over-much about the empowerment issue, unless you ever forsee a day when you are an exec chef with someone else as chef de cusine. I know you're no tyrant, but it is -your- place, after all. People are going to be working with and for you. Vous êtes le Chef -- don't be put off by that.

[Garrett]

Cute. Simple. Personable. I like it. Still, Ollalie is my running favorite. (Regardless of the fact I still say oo-la-lee. I like saying it that way.)

[jen maiser]

I kind of feel like I do when my friends try baby names out on me ... I don't want to say I hate it because they may end up naming their child that. :)

Anyway, not a fan of Cal Brett for the reasons that Sam expressed. Love the sentiment, just not the actual result.

Also in SoCal we had that stupid "go see Cal" commercial which is exactly what I thought of when I first saw this.

Love Emerson. :)

[brett]

Cal Brett could also be written as Ca'l Brett. I hadn't thought of the association of Cal with UC Berkeley's football team, but you all are right to point that out. Hopefully this new spelling will fix that association. It is my understanding that both can be correctly used in Catalan. See this photo of one of the signs for Cal Pep where it is spelled Ca'l Pep. Will edit the post to reflect this new spelling.

[sam]

i love Emerson too.
Ca'l is better, but I've got that connotation in my brain now.

[brett]

It's interesting that people like Emerson. That is a name I considered for quite a while. It's on my list of names that didn't make the cut, which I will be posting on Thursday.

[cookiecrumb]

Oh, lord, it's so... so... Superman! Kal-el. Me not like.
I think Emerson is swanky, though that may not be the image you're going for.
(This is fun. Hope it's enlightening for you.)

[Blanca]

Hi there, I don't think "Ca'l" is correct, maybe in old catalan it was, but not anymore. The correct form (from a spelling point of view) would be "Cal Brett". In the same line, another option you might consider is "Can Brett", means exactly the same and has the same "spirit/feeling". Ca/Cal=Can (→ contraction of "casa d'en").
I like Cal Brett, but obviously my opinion may be slightly biased :).

[Jennifer Jeffrey]

I haven't been playing along thus far, but I'd like to cast another vote for Emerson, which is personal enough but not too personal, easy to say and warm-sounding.

This has been a most enjoyable process to read about, and I can't wait to find out which one you choose.

[Brett]

Thanks, Blanca, for your insider's perspective. I personally prefer Cal, but in our local setting there seem to be some issues with the similarity to a local college team. So maybe the Ca'l spelling, even if it is somewhat archaic, makes more sense. I'll have to give it some more thought. I considered Can Brett, but it has obvious issues in English: Can Brett? That's actually kind of funny, but I don't think I want to subject myself to that question on a daily basis! I'll feel like the Little Engine that Could (I think I can, I know I can...).

[Melissa]

Ooh, I like Emerson, too! Simple, personal, easy to spell and say.

The Cal, with or with out apostrophe, only makes me think of UCB.

[Tracy]

I'm also putting my hat in for Emerson (which is strange since that wasn't at all connected to this post.) It's a very nice name, sounds pleasant, easy to spell. Yep.

[Pim]

Cal Brett sounds like something that smells bad...

Frankly, I know it's your name and all, but Brett is not exactly an appetizing name. Sorry.

[Jack at Fork & Bottle]

Yes, Brett is short for Brettanomyces, a flaw or quasi-flaw in wine (typified by a barn-yard smell from red wine)...not a name I like either. Ca'l Brett is still not winning me over, sorry.

Emerson, huh? Nothing to dislike. Short. Easy-to-remember. Says nothing about the food except it's not fast food. Hmmm.

[Diane]

I actually like it, but admit it has the barest whiff of a college brewpub (it does sound like a college sports team name).

People caren't going to say or think Ca'l Brett - they are going to say Cal (go bears! surfer dude!) Brett.

[brett]

I debated whether or not to include in my list of cons the unfortunate coincidence that my name is the same as the shortened version of brettanomyces. I elected not to, as I thought it would be more fun to out the effete wine snobs ;-) I, with my twisted sense of humor, actually find the coincidence hilarious, so much so that I seriously contemplated the name Barnyard for the restaurant as a way of poking fun. Thanks, Jack, for raising this as an issue with this name. I wouldn't want to scare wine lovers like yourself away.

[Jack at Fork & Bottle]

Haha...yeah, that would scare me away! Joanne and I are both on the pro-side of brett - we like that stinky smell in a wine - it adds some character. (We were raised by a very pro-French sommelier...I blame him.)

So, I think you're now stuck with the name of Brett's Barnyard as the restaurant name.

[c]

Ok, Brett. Somebody’s got to do it. And it might as well be me. Since all my previous attempts (alas, poor Zest, Con Gusto, Aprovechar, ¡Á la Mesa!, ¡Ánimo!) have fallen as flat as dispirited soufflés, what’s left to lose? The deadline looms.
So. Have you by any remote chance considered... In Praise of Sardines? It’s unique, memorable, exuberant, and manages to pique both the curiosity and the palate.

(Ca'l Brett? Well, in theory it sounds ok; in practice I think the Ca'l might have a little trouble holding on to its apostrophe, leading to a certain number of blank stares and misinterpretations.)

[Towse]

In amongst all the other suggestions and all (including four score, probably, of mine)... I second c's nomination of "In Praise of Sardines"

[sam]

'Barnyard' is honestly truly my favourite type of wine.
Stuff the oenophiles, I think you've scared me away by implicitly suggesting I am not a worthy wine lover :P

[brett]

I too love wines with a bit of barnyardy brett in it, Sam. But then I suppose with my name I am required to. In my opinion, a touch of brett adds character to a wine. Worry not, no matter what name I choose, there will be more than a few wines on my list that will appeal to your earthy sensibilities, such as Chateauneuf-du-Papes, Bandols, and Riojas.

[rachel]

I like it, and and am not swayed by the naysayers, it's cute!

[Towse]

Chateauneuf-du-Papes, Bandols, and Riojas

And a Malbec or two, please, sir?

[I-Chant]

I also thought of Cal as in "Go Bears!" when I first saw this name. But I like the idea behind it, and it sounds great. If you don't want to put your own name in it, I wonder if you could make it Ca'l something else? Nothing is coming to mind immediately but it could evoke something personal and still not be your name.