Many years ago, when I served an eighteen month sentence in San Jose (and yes, living in San Jose is a form of punishment), there was a Chinese barbecue place whose logo, while they were still building the shop, was a silhouette of a pig with flames coming out of its back!
In Petaluma, there was, very briefly, an antique store with the attractive name of Dead Peoples Stuff. (I don't think they used apostrophes correctly.)
Near Davis, California, was a name that sounds like vegetarians on the city council there might have passed a truth in advertising law: Murder Burger.
More recently, I ate at a seafood restaurant in Boise with the most encouraging name of Lucky Fins. (Shouldn't that be Unlucky Fins?)
Today, my wife was in Boise and noticed a restaurant with the charming name of Squealing Pig Barbecue. At least it wasn't Screaming Pig Barbecue.
Many years ago, there was a pizzeria in South Lake Tahoe, CA called "Jo Mama's Pizzeria". Sadly, they are long gone today.
ReplyDeleteMurder Burger has been called Redrum Burger since 2001. Naming Rights Dispute between new and former owners. Still a weird name in a town that built a tunnel under a road for turtles!
ReplyDeleteA.J.
Refugee from the People's Democratic Republic of California since 2008.
Hopefully not a reference to Deliverance!
ReplyDeleteOnly if they open a branch in San Francisco! My wife remembered that line.
ReplyDeleteAlso in San Jose is a diner named "Flames" (The dinner is almost as good as Denny's, but they have enormous cakes and other good deserts.) It's across the street from the new, fashionable, Santana Row development. During construction, Santana Row caught fire (welder did something dumb). Someone took a snap of Flames' logo sign with the burning construction in the background; the restaurant kept that picture visible behind their counter for years.
ReplyDeleteNot everything is lost in translation. Sometimes something unintentional is gained.
ReplyDeleteIn Los Angeles and many other California cities there are restaurants serving a Southeast Asian dish called Pho, pronounced "Fuh". It's a sort of a soup, with many variations.
My cousin found a restaurant, I forget if it was in LA or San Diego, called "Pho King".