The Name Game: imby

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!

Program Note: We're taking a day of rest from the Name Game tomorrow, Sunday. Contestant Number Six will air Monday morning. Also, I will be highlighting my favorites from amongst your suggestions on Wednesday and Thursday. starting Friday. Then, over the weekend the following week I'll put the top few favorites (yours and mine) up for vote (although, like any benevolent despot worth his weight in white truffles, I will reserve final veto power). If all goes well, the following week I will announce my restaurant's new name!

Our fifth contestant (of seven) is imby.

The Story:

imby stands for "in my backyard." It's the opposite of NIMBY. This name plays on two things. My restaurant will be the first to answer the call from Noe Valley residents for new restaurants "in their backyard" (see full story). Second, the backyard is a prominent feature of my restaurant's design. Why the lowercase? Just because.

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, NIMBYism ("Not In My BackYard") is  the tendency of local residents to oppose the nearby location of something they deem undesirable, such as a homeless shelter or toxic waste dump.

Pros:

Places emphasis on conviviality and having fun.

Playful and cute.

Cheeky and irreverent: doesn't take itself too seriously.

Refers to an integral part of the story of the founding of this restaurant in a neighborhood which had banned new restaurant construction for 20 years.

It gives room for me to evolve in the event that I will get bored with Spanish cuisine.

Highlights the backyard as a prominent feature of the design. I don't know about you, but on a gorgeous 75 degree day like yesterday and today, I rack my brain trying to remember which restaurants have great backyards.

Cons:

No connection to my cooking influences from Spain and her Mediterranean neighbors.

No reference to the "field to fork" relationship with producers, sustainability, or seasonality that is an integral part of the restaurant's concept.

Doesn't give you any hint what kind of food is served. If anything, the name may connote an inexpensive, homey American diner or cafe. Let me know your thoughts.

In a few years, the story of winning approval from the Planning Commission will seem less relevant.

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

[Anita]

I think there's a tangential relationship to "field to fork" -- it does strongly imply local-ness. As in the food coming from farms located in our (metaphorical) back yards.

It's a bit precious for my taste, though. And yes, I think you're right to worry about people thinking it's a burger and ribs place... that's what I make in -my- back yard. :) It kind of mirrors Front Porch.

[Jack]

Awful name. (Right to the point I am.)

[jen maiser]

I agree with Anita's implication of localness, but it's not my favorite name in general. Too cutesy.

[Melissa]

I still love Olallie the best. I don't have any other suggestions, though I've been trying to think about your name game.

My 2 cents is that since this is your personal project, so personal it is a true extension of yourself and is/will be your daily life, it is hard for other people to give it a name.

While Olallie doesn't connotate Spanish food, it has a sweet rhythm to it, special meaning for you, is quirky enough to remember and people have already been associating your future restaurant with the name. Yes, it may get mispelled and mispoken, but people do that with my common first name all the time. Eh, not a big deal. As long as they can find you!

Hearth would have been a good one, but you said it is not possible. On the other hand, there's already Range, Home, Manor, and Casa this and Chez that.

Viva Olallie!

[Erin]

I like it alright - I think it's cute and when you find out what it stands for, you get a little chuckle and a "huh, that's cool." If you've got a backyard and that's a big selling point for you (since it seems rather rare, from your commentary), play it up! Love the lowercase, too...

[Anita]

I've been digging in the Catalan dictionary again:
- urbà (city)
- masia (another 'farmhouse' variation)
- ganivet (knife)
- àpat (meal)
- cassola (pot/pan)
- mercat (market -- I think this is a duplicate, but I can't seem to find it in previous comments)

[Morton the Mousse]

I don't like the frame of reference in this one. When I think of NIMBYs I think of nuclear power plants, landfills, prisons, and slaughterhouses. I know the whole purpose is to contrast with NIMBY, but people will still naturally think of NIMBYs and all of the negative associations that come with that word.

[Ee.]

Here, here, Melissa! I think Olallie is still the most solid choice. It represents the local, field to fork idea and it won't tie you down to a spanish influenced menu.

I also think it's a name of a restaurant that will stick around. Many of the other names seemed a little too trendy.

[Anita D]

I think it's fun! And, I also think it's a little too diner-y. Frankly, no name is perfect.

With Olallie, people might expect you to have that jam or pie always on the menu. With imby, they might expect you to always have a burger on the menu... yum... burger... where was I? Oh yeah, I think the reality is that you might always dash what expectations people might walk in with, but they will walk out having had an incredible dining experience... they won't remember or care about having had their expectations dashed! And, the next time they walk in (which I am positively sure that they will) their expectations will be just right.

So, the question remains, do you name your restaurant based solely on first impressions (yes, you need to lure them in)?

And, it's true, I still have no wonderful Catalan ideas... or any other ideas for that matter. I guess I'm pretty bad at this.

[art]

sounds like Quimby and looks like it is missing a prefix.

I hope the city fixes that sidewalk!

Another suggestion...

[Ken H]

After my initial "huh?", the explanation put a smile on my face. That said, I think it's a little to kitschy for your restaurant.

[Bonnie]

[catching up late in the name game]

Hmmm. Imby sounds too informal, and like it should have a cartoon mascot. Catalina is too generic. I like Bocarte the best so far -- so what if some people Humphreyize it? It resonates, at least for me, whether you know the etymology or not.

I also like Ollalie because it is unique, but there is something very feminine about it — which you shouldn't mind since you're such a girly chef, right? ;-)

[sam]

this one sucks! imby of nimby which is almost namby which goes with pamby

[Tracy]

imby-cilic? Don't care for it, I have to say.

[Diane]

Imby? Gumby?
mmmmmm.........no.

[Rachel]

I think that a Catalan word that captures the farm-table/backyard essence would be best. With an obvious preference for pronunciation ease.

Tuala: Table

[Adele]

My initial reaction: "Huh?" Without knowing what it stands for, it sounds like a tech start-up or a consulting firm, not a restaurant.

[Aaron]

I disagree that it has no field to fork reference. That was actually the first thing that came to mind for me...that your ingredients would be from your back yard. In any case this isn't a front-runner for me, but I just thought I'd mention that.

[Chilebrown]

Might as well name it Gumby and have a Pokey Special for an appetizer.

[Chilebrown]

Might as well name it Gumby and have a Pokey Special for an appetizer.

[I-Chant]

It's too cutesy. I think the others are right about the other connotations this name will invoke: quimby, gumby, nimby. It's not as interesting and it doesn't say a lot about your cooking. You've got better names in the running.

[EB]

I stood in front of well...your storefront this morning munching my Holey Bagel and I pondered, pondered, pondered. Truth be told... the 80* heat fried my San Francisco weather acclimated brain... and nothing AHA! worthy sprouted. I'm still workin' on it.

[Amy Sherman]

Please, tell me you are kidding...

[Anita]

I think I still like Olallie the best. I like the backstories and connotations for many of the other names, but I'm not sure I would get them right away and without knowing the in-jokes, I would say Olallie just sounds the best.

[rachel]

I love the meaning, but maybe agree with the too cuteness problem.

[Towse]

ix-nay on "imby"

[JenR]

Obviously, from this name as well as from Bocarte, typography is going to be important consideration in your brand and logo - nice! Most folks don't pay too much attention to this element of design. I understand the impulse to make imby all lowercase, but it might be interesting to play with that... a whimsical name paired with a more formal font or layout - it could be really dynamic. In terms of the name, I'm not loving this one quite as much. It feels too forced.

[jen maiser]

I have to say, after having a few days to mull it over, this one is growing on me a bit.

[Ben]

i love the idea, and the connotation... but I can't get imby to click in my mind the right way..

[Tea]

I think it's cute and clever, but lacks depth and fails to capture the spirit of what you're trying to do. It also reminds me of some ultra modern Japanese deli of some sort--the name sounds sort of like English but not.

[catherine]

Too cutesy, but as a neighbor, I get it and appreciate it.

forchetta is another suggestions, it is fork in italian, but a lot of people won't think twice about it

cosecha, harvest in Spanish

any of these with cafe or bar or alone