Corks and Cocoa? Booze and Brownies?
October 3, 2011 7:24 PM Subscribe
(Posting for a friend.) I am trying to name a local restaurant that will be known for its wine and its chocolate dishes. A friend of mine suggested "Corks & Cocoa." I like it, but would like to consider some other names. Any good restaurant name ideas would be greatly appreciated - and you'll be sure to get some gift certificates when we open if I like the name! Thank you!
Cocoa Vin
posted by iconomy at 7:33 PM on October 3, 2011 [38 favorites]
posted by iconomy at 7:33 PM on October 3, 2011 [38 favorites]
Bean & Vine Co.
posted by anonnymoose at 7:35 PM on October 3, 2011
posted by anonnymoose at 7:35 PM on October 3, 2011
Drunken Soufflé
Red White and Brown
Iconomy's idea of Cocoa Vin is awesome!
posted by effigy at 7:40 PM on October 3, 2011
Red White and Brown
Iconomy's idea of Cocoa Vin is awesome!
posted by effigy at 7:40 PM on October 3, 2011
I think just 'Wine & Chocolate' would work well. Not cutesy or overly clever, gets straight to the point (and a very good point it is), and 'chocolate' is a powerful word.
posted by Flashman at 7:40 PM on October 3, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Flashman at 7:40 PM on October 3, 2011 [2 favorites]
Reds, Whites, and Cocolat (the French spelling)
And I really like iconomy's suggestion.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:45 PM on October 3, 2011
And I really like iconomy's suggestion.
posted by DoubleLune at 7:45 PM on October 3, 2011
I swooned when I read Cocoa Vin. That's amazing. I want to go to there.
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:51 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:51 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
For those who don't get it, Cocoa Vin is a play on a traditional French dish Coq au vin. It really must be Cocoa Vin because that's amazing.
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:55 PM on October 3, 2011
posted by two lights above the sea at 7:55 PM on October 3, 2011
Response by poster: My friend like Cocoa Noir (and I loved Cocoa Vin) but he asked me to clarify that it's not going to be fine dining, but more on-par with The Cheesecake Factory.
Thanks guys!
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 7:55 PM on October 3, 2011
Thanks guys!
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 7:55 PM on October 3, 2011
I was just coming back to say they can use the symbol for Epicatechen for the logo (or some awesome wallpaper).
Even so, I don't think anyone would mistake Cocoa Vin for only fine dining. It's zingier. And smarter. And rolls off the tongue. Cocoa Noir is limiting and makes me think it would only sell dark chocolate. Cocoa Vin doesn't make me think it only serves Coq au vin -- it makes me think Chocolate! Wine! And fun people!
posted by peagood at 8:00 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
Even so, I don't think anyone would mistake Cocoa Vin for only fine dining. It's zingier. And smarter. And rolls off the tongue. Cocoa Noir is limiting and makes me think it would only sell dark chocolate. Cocoa Vin doesn't make me think it only serves Coq au vin -- it makes me think Chocolate! Wine! And fun people!
posted by peagood at 8:00 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
Cocolat (the French spelling)
...chocolat
posted by kmennie at 8:11 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
...chocolat
posted by kmennie at 8:11 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm assuming that your friend wants to be a leetle more sophisticated than The Cheesecake Factory? Cocoa Vin doesn't necessarily scream fine dining, but it does say smart, witty, and interesting.
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:24 PM on October 3, 2011
posted by two lights above the sea at 8:24 PM on October 3, 2011
Cocoa Vin says "chocolate wine." People who know French will parse it as "this place serves some pretty weird hooch," and move on. Cocoa et Vin, maybe...
posted by kmennie at 8:28 PM on October 3, 2011
posted by kmennie at 8:28 PM on October 3, 2011
Cocoa Vin says "chocolate wine." People who know French will parse it as "this place serves some pretty weird hooch," and move on. Cocoa et Vin, maybe...
Nah, I grew up speaking French and majored in it in college, and married into a francophone family. I think it's cute, just short of cutesy, and that it seems like that wheelhouse is what the restaurateur is aiming for.
posted by padraigin at 8:41 PM on October 3, 2011 [3 favorites]
Nah, I grew up speaking French and majored in it in college, and married into a francophone family. I think it's cute, just short of cutesy, and that it seems like that wheelhouse is what the restaurateur is aiming for.
posted by padraigin at 8:41 PM on October 3, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: I like Cocoa Vin, but I think the Average Joe and Joan aren't going to have the slightest idea what it means. I actually like a slight variation on your original suggestion - The Cork & Cocoa. Sounds like a really interesting pub.
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:48 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by MexicanYenta at 8:48 PM on October 3, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't have any brilliant ideas for you, but just a reminder to google your ideas to see what may work. For instance it looks like "Cocoa Vin" is the name of a wine from Mission Mountain Winery, and the Cocoavin page is taken on Facebook. (This page comes up at the #3 hit for me, though!) "The Cork & Cocoa" seems to be a cleaner hit on Google.
posted by GeneticFreek at 9:36 PM on October 3, 2011
posted by GeneticFreek at 9:36 PM on October 3, 2011
In Vino Chocolatas
Or, drop the 'In.'
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 12:59 AM on October 4, 2011
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 12:59 AM on October 4, 2011
Or, dispense with puns! And go with 'Mouthfeel.'
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 1:16 AM on October 4, 2011
posted by Rube R. Nekker at 1:16 AM on October 4, 2011
Terroir
- equally important to both wine and chocolate
Or
"The chocolate grape"
posted by MuffinMan at 1:31 AM on October 4, 2011
- equally important to both wine and chocolate
Or
"The chocolate grape"
posted by MuffinMan at 1:31 AM on October 4, 2011
Truffe et Vin
Brut Noir
Nose For Nibs
Magnum et Cacao
posted by toadliquor at 4:00 AM on October 4, 2011
Brut Noir
Nose For Nibs
Magnum et Cacao
posted by toadliquor at 4:00 AM on October 4, 2011
I don't know, most of the name suggestions to me do read a bit more upscale. Since chocolate and wine are both indulgences, or maybe even vices, a play on that? Here in my neighborhood, someone would open something like that and name it "Bad Habits", or something much more clever that was thought up *after* having morning coffee.
Or since most chocolate bars have a heady aroma when you walk in the door, and wine has it's nose, maybe something playing off the scent.
I don't think that you necessarily need to indicate your two main products in the name. That could easily be taken care of with a subtitle of "Chocolate and Wine Bar". That allows you more freedom to get clever with the name in a way that's more appropriate to your casual target customer.
If you really do want to include both titles in the name, I agree with you that anything too francophilic does give the wrong impression for what you're looking to do...I don't know, something like TemperVines (you temper chocolate) (and again, lack of morning coffee to explain the less than stellar suggestion) has a more casual feel to it.
*Caveat: I named my first bar "Welcome to the Johnson's", so I lean towards non-traditional names.
posted by newpotato at 5:30 AM on October 4, 2011
Or since most chocolate bars have a heady aroma when you walk in the door, and wine has it's nose, maybe something playing off the scent.
I don't think that you necessarily need to indicate your two main products in the name. That could easily be taken care of with a subtitle of "Chocolate and Wine Bar". That allows you more freedom to get clever with the name in a way that's more appropriate to your casual target customer.
If you really do want to include both titles in the name, I agree with you that anything too francophilic does give the wrong impression for what you're looking to do...I don't know, something like TemperVines (you temper chocolate) (and again, lack of morning coffee to explain the less than stellar suggestion) has a more casual feel to it.
*Caveat: I named my first bar "Welcome to the Johnson's", so I lean towards non-traditional names.
posted by newpotato at 5:30 AM on October 4, 2011
And if I had a chocolate shop, I would definitely call it Temper.
posted by newpotato at 5:33 AM on October 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by newpotato at 5:33 AM on October 4, 2011 [2 favorites]
Another vote for Cocoa Vin.
Everybody will understand what it means (chocolate + wine I mean), even if they don't get the pun.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:09 AM on October 4, 2011
Everybody will understand what it means (chocolate + wine I mean), even if they don't get the pun.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 8:09 AM on October 4, 2011
If you want to go with Cork & Cocoa, I'd change it to Cork & Cacao. When I read 'cocoa' I just think hot chocolate (though I do like the way it works in Cocoa Vin).
posted by beyond_pink at 9:31 AM on October 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by beyond_pink at 9:31 AM on October 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
Going of what newpotato said, what about something like:
INDULGENCE
A wine and chocolate bar
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:50 AM on October 4, 2011
A wine and chocolate bar
posted by MexicanYenta at 9:50 AM on October 4, 2011
I am turned off by restaurants and places with cute or clever names. A pun in the name is even worse. They seem cheap, amateur, and insincere, like the idea to open a restaurant was cooked up while having drunken conversation with friends and the best thing to come from the conversation was a clever name.
If you tell me what the place is in the name, I think I get it before I am there. "Cocoa vin? Chocolate and Wine? meh, I'm not in the mood. Let's go somewhere where I can't decide 'no' until I've had the experience."
It also says one time thing or no time thing. "Have you gone to Cocoa Vin?" "No, but I guess I will try it if I am ever in the mood for chocolate and wine."
Ambiguous names that don't sound pretentious are best. I offer no suggestions, just criticism.
posted by comatose at 5:54 PM on October 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you tell me what the place is in the name, I think I get it before I am there. "Cocoa vin? Chocolate and Wine? meh, I'm not in the mood. Let's go somewhere where I can't decide 'no' until I've had the experience."
It also says one time thing or no time thing. "Have you gone to Cocoa Vin?" "No, but I guess I will try it if I am ever in the mood for chocolate and wine."
Ambiguous names that don't sound pretentious are best. I offer no suggestions, just criticism.
posted by comatose at 5:54 PM on October 4, 2011 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Cocoa Noir
posted by munchingzombie at 7:31 PM on October 3, 2011 [2 favorites]