Q: What did you used to do? 

A: Right before this, I was food and beverage manager at the Black Point Inn for a season. Before that I was in Houston for five years. I managed a high-end steak house, and a high-end French bistro. Before that, I managed a nightclub in Philadelphia for five years; I worked there for a total of 10 years.

Additional Photos

A few friends join Ian Farnsworth, second from right, at his club, the Slainte Wine Bar and Lounge on Preble Street in Portland. They gathered for the opening of photographer Robbie Kanner’s exhibit at Slainte, seen behind them. From left are Kanner, musical performer Robin Ivy, Farnsworth and bartender Katrina Abramo. Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

I got into the restaurant business in 1990. Yes, I was in college at the time (Temple University, studying economics and political science). 

Q: You’re from that area? 

A: I grew up there. When I was a tiny kid we lived in Presque Isle for a couple of years. I remember the potato field in the backyard, and being completely buried in snow in the winter. We also summered in Maine, in Hope, on Lake Megunticook. 

Q: Is that connection what brought you to Maine? 

A: I never really liked Houston, and when it was time to move, I had basically two options. Go back to Philadelphia, or come here. The summers are nice, my parents had moved here, and my brother’s family had moved here from Hawaii seven years ago. So it was a good chance to be around my family. And I was hoping to have the summer to relax — but I ended up getting hired at the Black Point Inn. 

Q: Wasn’t the Slainte  location a wine store before you?

A: Tom Hansen had Market Wines here, but before me Adam Doherty had opened Sláinte and run it nine or 10 months, before he sold it to me.

I don’t think he knew what he was getting into.

Q: Did you?

A: Yeah. I stuck with the name, and planned to change the format just a bit.

Q: Do most people pronounce the name (slanch-uh) correctly now?

A: A lot of people do, and a lot don’t, but it’s not that important to me. They can call us “the place on Preble Street” – that’s fine. “Slainte” means “good health,” like a toast.

Q: How did you change the format?

A: A lot more entertainment. Portland has a plethora of music, and very talented musicians. Aside from Monday, which is Trivia Night, we have music every single night. Katrina (Abramo), who works here, has been a huge help.

She’s a musician who’s performed solo and with bands. My sister, E.J., does the booking.

Last March we added the dance floor and the stage area and moved everything back a little bit, to make it more accommodating for the musicians and to make them more visible from all angles of the bar.

Q: Do you ever close?

A: Just Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Q: That’s a lot of hours for you.

A: Oh yeah, but I love what I do, and if I didn’t I wouldn’t be doing it. Later this month we’re opening a new place at 653 Congress, right by Longfellow Square. It had been a Somali restaurant, Bavara.

Q: What kind of place?

A: A restaurant, not doing music or anything, serving a type of gourmet fast food, a blend of Korean and Mexican. Marinated meats – which is where the name, Gogi, comes from – plus fresh vegetables, served on small tortillas.

We’ll also do tofu and vegetarian. It’s very popular out West. We’ll also have seafood. Generally, quick, tasty food that everyone can enjoy.

The food here is pretty much a little bit of everything. Some Asian, a lot of soups and sandwiches and pizzas, kind of a little bit of everything.

Q: So you have culinary training?

A: I never went to culinary school, but I love to cook, and I’ve worked in many restaurants as well as cooking for myself.

And my father (Richard Farnsworth) is a great cook.

He just retired in July, but not for long. I’m going to put his butt to work (at Gogi). He’s not gonna get bored.

Q: How’s the Bayside-ish location?

A: When I first opened, some homeless people came in to check out the bar in their neighborhood.
But they’ve since learned they’re not overly welcome. Usually it’s business people coming in earlier, then the music crowd later.

One thing I like is that the clientele that tends to go to the Old Port doesn’t seem to make its way here.

People come for a specific show or for the music in general, not just to meet chicks or get drunk and fight.

Q: That never happens?

A: We had one fight, about two years ago. It was two friends of mine, over a girl. That’s a hard fight to break up, when you can pick up only one person to carry out – they think you’re taking sides.

Those two are still best friends – that was just one bad day.

Related Stories