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Vanessie of Santa Fe

Address:

434 W San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Phone:

(505) 982-9966

Payment:

Nice to Know:
  • Noise Level Average
  • Parking Lot
  • Smoking Outdoor
  • Wifi No
  • Accepts Credit Cards Yes
  • Good For Groups Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible Yes
  • Music Live

Other Details:
about vanessie VANESSIE STORY The year is 1980 and a little house stands at 434 West San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, New Mexico. In it lives a local gentleman and his bride who has arrived from France. Deciding to move, the couple sell their home to Guy and Vicki Laliberte, who intend to build a business on the lot. Because of the desires of Santa Fe's Historical Society, the little house cannot be torn down and so it becomes the front entrance to the lounge that they are envisioning. Vicki is known as Vanessie to her friends and Guy names the new lounge after his wife. The little house now embodies the public restrooms and a foyer, which leads to a dramatic and spacious lounge. Designed by local artist and architect Ron Robles, the Vanessie lounge is born. The room is dominated from inception by the Baldwin concert grand piano still in use today, and the piano lounge becomes an instant attraction to local and out-of-town guests. Doug Montgomery entertains patrons as pianist from day one of Vanessie and during the next two years, the lounge is a sea of immense butterscotch-hued leather sofas. Later these are removed since toward the end of most evenings they are occupied by soundly sleeping guests. This owes much more to the unrestrained pouring of liquor that prevailed during the 80s than to Doug's playing! In 1984, Guy and Vanessie decide to add a dining room featuring a dramatic open kitchen. The restaurant is an instant success since Guy has instinctively tapped into a need for simple and fresh cuisine that exists in Santa Fe. Featuring Nebraska farmland beef and New Zealand rack of lamb, Vanessie now becomes known as a place to enjoy a classic meal as well. Upon retirement in July of 1988, Guy and Vanessie sell their labor of love to native Californian Lou Sawaya. ( Retirement is short for the Lalibertes as they move to Palm Desert, California and open a new restaurant and piano lounge named Vicki's of Santa Fe ). The sale of Vanessie proves to be fortuitous timing for the new owner as Santa Fe is about to enter its boom years. The early 90s see the city different develop into the worldwide tourist destination that it is today and these years are some of the busiest ever at Vanessie. At this time, Lou travels to New York City and combs the cabarets for a new entertainer. There he finds Charles Tichenor who begins his tenure as pianist at Vanessie. Relocating to California in 1998, Lou begins actively seeking a new owner for his business. Meanwhile Fran Mullin, former CEO of Canada Dry and a Santa Fe businessman and regular patron of Vanessie for many years, has become quite fond of the establishment so much so that he has begun looking into making Vanessie an even more central part of his life. On Halloween of the year 2000, Fran Mullin becomes the newest owner of Vanessie of Santa Fe. The metal skulls that hang over the fireplaces were designed by local artisan Rudy Gonzales. The paintings which currently inspire conversation in the dining room are by famous Canyon Road artist Carole LaRoche. Noted personalities whom Vanessie has played host to: Brett Butler, Harry Connick, Jr., Desperate Housewife Marcia Cross, Beverly D'Angelo, Matt Damon, Loretta Devine, Melissa Etheridge, Michael Feinstein, Mark Harmon, Goldie Hawn, Barbara Hershey, Governor Gary Johnson, Sally Kellerman, Jessica Lange, Howie Long, Joni Mitchell, Richard Mulligan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell, Winona Ryder, Tom Selleck, Brooke Shields and James Taylor

Restaurants, Entertainment Bureaus, Bars, Cocktail Lounges, Music-Entertainment, Southwestern

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