If you’re like me, Vanessie conjures images of overpriced steaks and a stuffy, pseudo cabaret. Indeed, for 29 years, it has played host to a smattering of pianists who perform what we in the biz refer to as “background music.” The downtown restaurant’s new entertainment and marketing director, RJ Laino, hopes to alter those very perceptions while opening the space’s schedule to attract a wider audience.














