Last week news came that El Farol, a Santa Fe institution for as long as anyone can remember, had abruptly shuttered its doors. The avalanche of consternation from devotees was swift. Opened in 1835 as a cantina, the place was abuzz in the historic heart of the city nearly three quarters of a century before New Mexico would become a U.S. state.
El Farol in Santa Fe Closes Permanently
Over these many years, the property has seen various iterations, many of which have been lost to history. Still, the collective consciousness holds firm that El Farol was and is a central stage on which the lives of everyday Santa Feanos plays itself out. Dancing. Eating. Drinking. Gathering with both friends and strangers alike, to celebrate big moments and a simple evening out. If those walls could speak, the stories they could tell…
Thankfully, we spoke with a number of contemporary voices that underscore the special place that El Farol holds across the ever-changing City Different.
Born and raised in Santa Fe, Victoria Murphy mused with me about having her first date there with her now-husband, Dennis.
“It was October 1978 and we were sitting at a little table in the back of a little room in what is now the Thai restaurant. But, then it was all part of El Farol. Bob Young owned the restaurant at that time and it was my parents’ favorite restaurant. While we were sitting there, I looked up and saw this painting of a reclining naked woman. The whole time I kept looking up at it as it was right above our table. I think Dennis thought I was nuts. Finally, I stood up and said, ‘I know this painting.’ I look and sure enough, it was my father who painted it! Bob always told my Dad that his artwork was the best in there, including the Monet above the door.”
Chef James Campbell Caruso on El Farol
Then there is the food and the talent that has moved in and out of El Farol’s kitchen. Chef James Campbell Caruso, proprietor of La Boca, joined El Farol as Executive Chef in 1999. Back then it was owned by David Salazar.
“I was thrilled to work at a place that suited my generally rebellious nature. El Farol had swagger! We had an incredible crew of rogues, rascals, and pirates that created a vibe and energy that throbbed and pulsated down Canyon Road. The music scene was happening every night and I saw some incredible musicians in that bar. People came from all over the globe to enjoy it. Colorful artists, locals, cowboys, and heiresses were side-by side with celebrities, art dealers, Native, poets, bikers…Everyone really enjoyed themselves.” On its most recent iteration, Chef felt the soul of the place had been lost. “After David sold it and it got remodeled, it seemed like it lost some of its energy and vibe. They did not really understand this unique treasure that they had.” And as for his old boss, Chef commented “Salud, David Salazar! You created something most restauranteurs only dream about.”
Local resident David Rare shared another example of El Farol magic. “In the 80’s my mother was an artist living here and going to IAIA. They had a casting call for a movie called Powwow Highway which was produced by George Harrison and featured a score by Robbie Robertson and Bono. During production of the film, they rented out El Farol for a party and did a few impromptu songs. At the time, I was only about 7 years old. I vaguely recall being smuggled in somehow, this is the 80’s, so I don’t recall the songs they performed. A few years later, around 1993, I got intel from a friend who worked there that Van Morrison was hanging out. I rushed downtown and sure enough, he was sitting in a booth, flanked by admirers.”
Leaving Canyon Road
Local gallerist Pilar Law, whose Edition One Gallery sits just across the street from El Farol, spent the day after the closure gathering up the treasure trove of historic photography she had lent to adorn El Farol’s walls. “El Farol is the anchor of Canyon Road,” she reflected. Law grew up in the neighborhood on Cerro Gordo and made parallels to the closure of El Farol to the loss of other anchors in the Canyon Road of lore, including Gormley’s grocery and Johnnie’s Cash Store.
“This part of Santa Fe has changed a lot over the last ten years. The character of Canyon Road and of Santa Fe has changed. Canyon Road has transitioned from a place where people live in community to more of a commercial area. El Farol was where you went to dance with friends and we didn’t have that many places back then.” What Law mentioned most was the sense that the closure reflected the loss of a sense of community, something echoed by many on social media as well.
Looking Ahead
Whatever the future holds for this hallmark of Santa Fe history, I think I speak for myself and much of Santa Fe, that if that old building could speak, we hope she’d utter those immortal words from Mark Twain: the report of my death was an exaggeration. And at a bargain listing price of $2.5 million, rumors are already swirling about a potential purchase.
Story by William Smith
Photo Courtesy of El Farol
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