Help me name our restaurant something other than "The Restaurant"

Some time ago I stumbled across http://www.igorinternational.com, a company who specializes in naming other companies and brands. (it was likely a MeFi link.) You can read their http://www.igorinternational.com/process/naming-guide-product-company-names.php, a massive 90-page .pdf which I'm sure will give you some ideas.

You may be thinking too much about it. Whatever your name is, it's what you do that will define it. For instance, we have a local burger joint called "B&D Burgers". Nothing fancy, but they make great burgers (all named of local Savannah stuff), with various toppings (Fried egg, Blue cheese crumbles etc.). The name comes from the initials of names of his two boys. It's rolls nicely off the tongue, sounds like local and tells what they specialize in. You don't say what your son's name is, so Pilgrims 13 Colonies Plymouth Rock Thanksgiving Northern Kitchen Gourmet Comfort Built for Comfort Nothern Comfort East of the Mississippi 38th Parallel (or whatever your lattidue or longitude coordinates are) The Foyer The Porch Georgia Peach Autumn Comfort Harvest Moon http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/HoppinJohn.htm http://www.crescentcitybeignets.com/poboysanne.html The Dive Easy Now Southern Influence Gourmet Slant Dad's Kitchen (everyone does mom's) Dusk Junebug Pop's American Comfort The Bill of Rights The Axe and the Cherry Tree Johnny Appleseed's South Carolina Sweet Carolina's On preview: Nobody ever decided to avoid a restaurant because its name didn't thrill them. I will NEVER go into the local restaurant named "Squart and Gobble"

Is it horrible that after almost 100 responses, we'll probably go with one of the names we thought of ourselves? Claire's or Natch seem to be the final contenders. We'll probably incorporate as Natch and pick the final restaurant name later. Although I would definately eat at any of these: Le Cou Rouge Pickle Lune Heritage Onionesque Dogwood You're all welcome to have a free dinner. I think I can safely say that because I doubt that any of you live within a hundred miles of Canton, NY. Although maybe we'll see katyggls at reunions. We're not sure if we'll get the building we want, so if we're not open in six months, the name might have to hold for a few years. And I'm definately eating at Squat and Gobble if I ever get to S.F.

Onionesque

ab3 - Born and raised in NO. Living in my FEMA trailer, rebuilding my house from ground up (in the air about 10 ft higher) :)

Claire and Sons

The southern restaurant in town here is called Tupelo Junction, and I happen to think that's a fantastic name. Of course, that's partially because it reminds me of the Van Morrison song, "Tupelo Honey." Not a direct answer (unless you want to rip them off), but maybe it'll help?

There's a chain of restaurants in Seattle called "Claire's Pantry." Great name. Dragged me right in for a comfy breakfast. Shame about the food and the service. The name worked like gang-busters, though. Maybe Claire d'Lune if you want to make it snootier for the gourmet crowd. One of my favorite breakfast places opened without a name. They put out a sandwich board saying, "Cafe Open." Months later, they polled the regulars to name the place, and it wound up being "Cafe Open."

Natchez would suggest mexican/south western food to me... (And depending on what part of the North east you're in [for instance some parts of long island], that assocation could land you smack dab in the middle of local/national politics too)