Esther's Kitchen

After honing his culinary skills in Los Angeles, native Las Vegan Chef James Trees was one of the first to open a successful restaurant in the now bourgeoning Arts District. The restaurant is named after Trees’ great-aunt who taught him to cook and helped pay the tuition for his CIA (Culinary Institute of America) education.

He must have learned well. The restaurant was recommended in the Italian category more than any other spot in Las Vegas (with Trees mentioned a few times in the celebrity chef division). Food blogger LeAnne Notabartolo emphatically says, “I love what James Trees at Esther's Kitchen does with pasta. It's always perfect and the Cacio e Pepe is better than what I had in Rome.”

Other examples of the exemplary housemade pasta include Rigatoni with black kale pesto, Strozzapreti with truffle sausage and Tagliatelle with lamb shank ragu. As great as the pastas are, make sure not to overlook the pizzas, which utilize his renowned homemade sourdough in the crust and include uniquely crafted creations like the Beef Cheek and Red Wine with horseradish panna.