What's In A Name? With Lemon Grove, A Lot

Growing up with the nickname Corky has caused me to think a lot about names.

I was named after my father, and given my cute moniker to avoid being called Junior. The name came from a character in a comic strip called Gasoline Alley, which was popular at the time. San Diego has a number of Corkys—from the pest control company to a killer whale at Sea World to a sea lion at the San Diego Zoo. Then there is Corky McMillin Elementary School in Chula Vista.

In the rest of the world my nickname is fairly scarce. Not so for our city’s name. Turns out everyone wants something called Lemon Grove. Here are four restaurants that are ready to set up shop in the Grove:

– The Lemon Grove Delicious Gourmet requires a trip to Chatswood Island, New South Wales, Australia. There, at the Lemon Grove food court, you’ll find this Chinese eatery. The name lays it on thick in terms of promises, but the reviews seem to back up the claim.

– We head next to another island to visit the Lemon Grove Grill. This upscale Mediterranean-style restaurant on James Island in Charleston, South Carolina, has a chicken with figs dish on the menu that sounds delicious. Why isn’t this place on Broadway?

– Even closer to home is The Lemon Grove in downtown Youngstown, Ohio. This hip cafe, coffee shop, bar, art gallery, and musical venue even features a Lemonaoke night (think Karaoke, but with lower standards) every Wednesday. These guys would also be welcome here. Come on… who wouldn’t want Lemonaoke?

– Let’s take a trip across the ocean to Abingdon-On-Thames, near Oxford University in the United Kingdom. Their Lemon Grove Restaurant offers a wide selection of Lebanese and Mediterranean cuisine in the “oldest town in England.”

This is making me hungry. Let’s move on to our accommodations at the Lemon Grove Beach Hotel on the Greek Island of Corfu. Need a good book to read while sunning on the sand? We’ve got you covered with The Lemon Grove by Ali Hosseini. Possibly our food will arrive on a Lemon Grove Dinner Plate, designed by Marks & Spencer.

If you like the plate and decide to travel back to England to buy a set, we can hook you up with some lemony choices for art and entertainment. The Lemongrove Gallery will sell you an original painting or sculpture from one its three locations in and around London. For some cool live music, one could travel four hours southwest by train or car to visit The Lemon Grove club at the University of Exeter.

Let me squeeze one more lemon: how about a four-bedroom, three-bath house, built in 2008, for $125,000, on Lemon Grove Drive? Did I mention it’s in Ft. Worth, Texas?

Everyone wants a name as seductive as Lemon Grove. Hear that, La Mesa (The Table) and El Cajon (The Box)?