Another guest blogger with an etymology riff

TBT's Peter Couture started thinking about Chef Robert Irvine's upcoming local ventures:

The names of celebrity chef Robert Irvine’s yet-to-open St. Petersburg restaurants — Ooze and Schmooze — got us to thinking about poorly chosen names. That eventually led us to a 2006 review in the London newspaper The Observer by critic Jay Rayner of a restaurant named ... Ooze. Rayner, it seems, shares our impression of the name. He writes: “Here’s what I want to know: why didn’t somebody stop them? Why didn’t one of their investors, hearing the name for the first time, say, for God’s sake no! Ooze is a bloody awful name for a restaurant. It’s a dog of a name. It shouts seepage. It bellows muddy outflow. Infected wounds ooze. Please try again.” Oh, and Rayner wasn’t that fond of the food, either. Chef Irvine, you might consider your countryman’s advice.

While we are playing the name game, The Guardian’s food blog has tackled the subject of the worst restaurant names in the world. One of the leading candidates must be that quaint spot for romantic dining known as Hitler’s Cross. The restaurant, in Mumbai, India, is adorned with images of the Führer. “We wanted to be different. This is one name that will stay in people’s minds,” owner Punit Shablok is quoted as saying by the Times of India. Table for two, please! Then there’s this Houston restaurant that sounds like it was lifted from one of Jay Leno’s humerous headlines: Crapitto’s. (Now that’s Italian!). And a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Lynn C. Hattendorf Westney, has done a study — “Onomastic Sobriquets in the Food and Beverage Industry” — on the subject. Her work includes a bunch of big words we don’t understand, but we got a kick out of some of the restaurant names. A sampling: Sir Loins, Pulp Kitchen, Grateful Bread, Pizzadelic, Aroma Borealis, The Angry Trout. Even some of Tampa’s finest are listed, most notably: Mad Dogs & Englishmen, SideBerns and the restaurant delivery service Dine One One.

Comments

[John McNeilly]

One doesn't -- actually, one shouldn't -- have to think "wound" when thinking of "ooze." When I cut into baked brie, for example, it oozes, rather lovingly. And it tastes awfully good on a freshly baked hunk of bread (see, I'm getting hungry already).

Me thinks this is being overthought a tad. What's more important is a notable celebrity chef, and emerging Food Network star, who has the charisma of a million-watt flashbulb, has chosen little old St. Petersburg to be his cooking home three nights a week.

Like the name or not, that puts the town in a very nice gastronomical light. Which, of course, extends to all kinds of other things around town as well (new baseball stadium anyone?)

So, I look forward to oozing cheese, shots of ouzo, and schmoozing with Chef Irvine and friends.

Cheers.

[Old Chef Dude]

Schmooze... Snooze ...Great name for a deli? Ooze? Ooze's like what? Baked Brie no no no perfectley ripe Taleggio
or Gorgonzola Dolce now we are talking about some proper Oozey material. (not to mention aromatic as well)Yee Ha!

[Sue T.]

When I was visiting St. Petersburg last year and saw the Ooze & Schmooze signs posted, I couldn't get over how stupid those names were. Of course, if the food is good, I'm sure I'll go anyway!

As a youth, I always got a chuckle out of any Chinese restaurant with a name like Big Wang (yes, it's real) or, more recently and for all you "South Park" fans, City Wok, which I spotted in Stockholm.

[Hank]

My favorite restaurant/lounge signage, a Ft. Lauderdale watering hole named Our Place. "We're all here because we're not all there". Perfect

[Booze]

I like the names & they rhyme with mine. They're different, unique, and I don't think of unpleasantries when hearing them. Agree with you John McNeilly, this is just another example of the renaissance taking place in our beautiful downtown St. Pete which is beginning to glow & gleam with a positive uplifting livable welcoming light and will only be enhanced by the glint of a new bayfront stadium for our Rays of sunshine. Thanks Mr. Irvine for selecting St. Pete for your first world class dining resturants & for your love of the Bay Area, you couldn't have a better location or names for that matter. I can see them rolling out the red carpet now for the openings. Much fame fan fare & success. It's another great day in St. Petersburg. GO RAYS!!!!

[alice]

ooze? schmooze? how do I not think oily, puss-y (please note spelling), all-round, umpleasant? ewwww. I mock ooze and schmooze. why not slime and rhyme? Or bleed and greed? I'm embarrassed that we haven't stopped this. Isn't there a decent p.r. person on his team? Is there no one to say 'NO!'?

[kurt]

oozing liberals will flock to the place

[TechRider]

Names are important, as they make a first impression. This is very important in the food industry. This is why they sell us Orange Roughy even though its real name is Slimefish. This is why they sell us Rump Roast, because we would not buy Cow Ass.

[TechRider]

Names are important, as they make a first impression. This is very important in the food industry. This is why they sell us Orange Roughy even though its real name is Slimefish. This is why they sell us Rump Roast, because we would not buy Cow Ass.