Friday, December 14, 2007

Cluck, Grunt, and Low

I really wanted to hate this restaurant.
It sprung up on a cursed corner in my neighborhood, home to 3 or 4 failed restaurants in the past two years. It appeared several months ago - a meat restaurant on a strip that is dominated by vegetarian, Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants.
I didn't know what to make of the name, or the sign. At first I found it cute, then mildly distasteful, and then puzzling:

I believe that these characters are called 'Cluckstein Gruntberg and Lowenthal', which starts a whole other line of questioning.
I can't decide whether or not it's a good thing that the restaurant has animals dressed like humans-lawyers, I think-on its sign. Also that it is named after the sounds that these animals made.
Before they were slaughtered, dismembered, smoked, shipped, seasoned, smothered with barbecue sauce and served.
I really don't care what you eat. Mood is hard to convey in type, but mine is jocular...honestly. I usually don't eat meat, but I've never tried to stop someone else from eating it. My opinions can be strong on this subject, but I won't shove tofu down your throat. Unless, for some reason, you ask me to.
Cluck, Grunt, and Low, with its noisy, mooing website and barn-like decor, made me think about whether its name and theme bring people closer to the facts of who/where their food comes from, or if it's just another case of making things cute and entertaining in order to remove them from reality. One time I walked by and there was a cartoon pig drawn on the sandwich board out front, with a speech bubble in which he invited you to come inside and feast on various parts of him.
Wonder...

1 comment:

Tomek said...

i agree. i think Veins, Cartilage, and Interstital Fluid is a much better name for a bbq restaurant.

damned meat eaters! they disgust me!

i'll open up a veggie restaurant here liz, with fake meats.

the dog tofu is easy, but how will i get the octopus gluten to squirm?