Esther’s Kitchen
OUR HOUSEMADE SOURDOUGH BREAD – ANCHOVY BUTTER w/ capers + parsley, CANNELLINI BEANS w/ lardo + crispy prosciutto + pistachio oil
DUCK CONFIT PIZZA – truffle panna + fontina + cherry mostarda + spinach
MORTADELLA PIZZA – shaved red onion + garlic panna + pistachio pesto
BAKED ‘NDUJA BUTTER MUSSELS – umami breadcrumbs + chili + parsley
GNOCCO FRITTO – chicken liver mousse + agrodolce cippolini
VITELLO TONATO – tuna carpaccio + crispy sweetbreads + salted zucchini
PASTA ALLA ZUCCA – pork sausage sugo + roasted tomatoes + spicy rabe
PACHAMAMMA FARMS PORK CHOP – Calabrian pine nut chili crisp + butcher beans and greens
AGNOLOTTI – gorgonzola + pear + walnut + brown butter + chichories
RADIATORE – trippa alla romana + mint + celery + parmesan
BEET PANSOTTI – goat ricotta + creme fraiche + cana de cabra + poppy seeds
EGG TAGLIATELLE – clams + smoked butter + oregano + prosciutto + breadcrumbs
SAFFRON + CARROT RISOTTO – carrots of many types + basil + chili
HOUSE GROUND POLENTA – mascarpone + parmesan
DOUBLE ESPRESSO
TIRAMISU PAVLOVA – coffee pavlova + amaretto zabione + coffee tuile + espresso-soaked lady fingers
CHERRY ALMOND GELATO
DARK CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO TART – cherry almond sorbet + amarena cherries
BUTTERSCOTCH BUDINO – whiskey caramel + honeycomb + whipped cream
Last visited for Dinner in November 2023 Saturday once again found Esther’s Kitchen firing on all cylinders, the frequently-changing menu expanded to match a more sizable space located just around the corner from James Trees’ revolutionary original address.
Now serving Las Vegas for over 5 years, every available superlative already used to describe James Trees’ Restaurant that revitalized the Art’s District, it was with a packed house that six guests sat in a secluded corner with Baker Dylan Jobsz’s city-best Sourdough starting things off.
Seasonal and rustic in a good way, exacting standards and impeccable service forever part of Esther’s appeal, it was with a focus on new items that two Sourdough Pizzas emerged from a wood-burning oven hot-n-bubbly, a well-developed cornicione proud to surround Confit Duck with Cherries as well as the more classic combination of Mortadella and Pistachios.
Modifying Gnocco Frito for early Spring, light Dough fried and filled with airy Chicken Liver, one would be hard-pressed to name a dish with more umami than Mussels baked beneath Calabrian Sausage though “Vitello Tonato” upgraded by Sweetbreads and Salted Zucchini gives it a try.
Pasta-centric as always, classics still present but this day’s focus on items such as Radiatore with Roman-style Tripe and Mint, suffice it to say that there are no wrong options whether its Tagliatelle Ribbons with Clams or hand-formed Beet Pansotti with Goat Cheese and Poppy Seeds.
Spicing things up with Pasta alla Zucca amidst housemade Pork Sausage, though fans of more mild Swine should consider an immaculate Chop served alongside Beans, Agnolotti packs a ton of flavor thanks to Gorgonzola mellowed by Pears while Carrot Risotto continues the kitchen’s strong showing with Vegan and Vegetarian dishes.
A lot of Food for not a lot of cash, all of it rooted in technique but never compromising flavor for looks, Dessert consisted of Esther’s forever refining Butterscotch Budino plus a bitter Chocolate Tart, though the real stunner proved to be an all-new Pavolva giving Tiramisu a face-lift by way of varying textures.
www.estherslv.com