Thank You, Chef James Trees & Team | Esther’s Kitchen, Las Vegas, NV

Let’s Go To Lunch

I started my lunch with the homemade sourdough bread with three spreads and cultured butter. The “Anchovy Butter” with capers and parsley is a perfect illustration of Trees’ motto. The “Yellowtail Crudo” was much more interesting than the salade Niçoise. Then, right into my palate the “Lamb Merguez Pizza” where the addition of a high-quality chorizo gives a punchy wake-up call — understand that the pizza is just fantastic (gaining the restaurant a spot on GAYOT’s Best Las Vegas Pizza Restaurants). And that was not knowing what was yet to come: the best sandwich ever, the “Braised Beef Cheek Melt.” The beef, cooked in Bordeaux wine, is layered with onion jam, melted mozzarella, seasoned with horseradish aïoli, and finished with the pleasant bitter taste of arugula, in between grilled slices of the homemade sourdough bread. The pastas I had are fully described in the video below. If you are a fan of anchovies, I recommend the “Chitarra Verde.”

Turning to Sweet Mood

Chef Trees asked me if I wanted to try more dishes. I asked him if he had desserts on the menu. He replied yes, so I said, “Let’s move to the sweets.” Again, not knowing what was to follow… I am, now, happy that I did not continue with the savories. First, came a “Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta” decorated with kumquats, financiers and marmelade. Here, once more, the modesty of chef Trees shows. A “simple” dish? Before eating the kumquats, take one in your hand, turn it and you will see that it has been emptied of its flesh and stuffed with crème Chantilly. Under no challenge, I will try to do that at home. The “Butterscotch Budino” is made with real whiskey and topped with honeycomb. There I thought I had reached the sky. With the “Chocolate Crêpe Cake,” I arrived in heaven. This cake is a two-day process, and includes the best chocolate, Valrhona. It contradicts the celebrated saying “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” because I am taking the memory of the cake with me.

Sophie‘s Tip: If you are staying on The Strip, you should, with no hesitation, drive to the Arts District where the restaurant is located for either lunch, dinner or weekend brunch. Instead of saying “should,” I could rather write “have to.” Chef Trees and team’s cuisine is why and how the world gets better: hard work, dedication for elevated times around the table, yet with no complications, approachable by all.

The Location

Updated: December 2023

In the next few months, Esther’s Kitchen will move right next door to a more spacious space, with the same design ambiance. An identical menu will be served.

At the current location, chef Trees is building a new restaurant to be named Vignette. Through the tasting menu, you will be able to experience a more elevated cuisine from the jovial chef. I hope to get there soon.