 Writers Noah Baumbach (qv) and Wes Anderson (qv) named several  of the places and crew members in the film spontaneously after  things and people they saw around them at the Italian restaurant  where they held many of their meetings about the film. Pescespada  Island, for instance, was named for one of the dishes on the menu.  Some of the characters names are named after waiters and patrons at  the restaurant.