1st look inside chef James Trees’ new downtown restaurant

“You’re not in Summerlin anymore.”

Chef James Trees made the remark the other afternoon at Ada’s, reminding a staffer that back doors to the restaurant should not be propped open — Ada’s new downtown Las Vegas neighborhood still has a raffish stripe, unlike its former home, the upscale Italianate scramble of Tivoli Village adjacent to Summerlin.

But the chef’s remark could be taken another way, too. Ada’s — formerly Ada’s Food + Wine, now shorn of those descriptors — is not in Summerlin anymore because its distinctive, even quirky, menu and wine list have at last found their people, their natural home.

“If we do a half crispy pig’s head here, it’ll sell out in one night. Out in Summerlin, we’d have PETA outside the door and a lot of leftover pig’s head,” Trees said. “Here in the Arts District, diners are looking for different experiences.”

Ada’s is slated to open Dec. 19 in the South Casino Center Boulevard premises that once housed Esther’s Kitchen, Trees’ first restaurant, before it moved in March 2024 to new $7 million digs next door. After more than six years in Tivoli Village, Ada’s closed there in late November in preparation for its move.

The original Esther’s consisted of its famously snug bar and dining room and a prep kitchen two doors down; a barbershop lay in between. The barbershop has departed, so Ada’s will occupy the trio of adjacent suites (renumbered to a single suite, 110) on the western side of its 1130 S. Casino Center Blvd. building.

“It was always my dream to have this whole space,” Trees said.

Dining room and kitchen refresh

At Ada’s, a small but significant change has occurred at the outset: The front door has been moved 10 feet or so east, creating more space for waiting customers, who used to logjam the end of the bar at the original Esther’s. A wall of teal (once royal blue) rises behind that bar. Across the dining room, the signature golden yellow banquette has been replaced by one upholstered in burnt umber. Skinny gilt-edged portrait mirrors populate one wall.

Seating has increased by about 40 indoors. A roomy terrace stretches at the back of Ada’s, now incorporating the area that once belonged to the barbershop.

The kitchen has received a $150,000 makeover: floors, plumbing, stainless steel walls, a hood upgrade, a more efficient arrangement of the dish-washing pit (not glamorous but essential).

A wine room and wine shop

A new temperature-controlled wine room lies just beyond the dining room and bar. Kat Thomas, Ada’s resident wine expert and general manager, is provisioning the room with her signature mix of domestic and international releases offering noteworthy flavor profiles and good value. The wine room may be booked for private tastings and dining.

The old barbershop has been turned into a retail wine shop, with wooden wine boxes stacked here and there and racks already filling with bottles. The shop also features a tasting bar with refrigeration and stemware, something especially handy for trade sampling with visiting wine representatives.

Charcuterie boards and cheese boards will be sold, too, at the shop, and a wine club is planned.

More foot traffic and menu freedom

Chef de cuisine Jackson Stamper is once again collaborating with Thomas, as they did at Ada’s in Tivoli Village.

“I’m excited about the neighborhood, the energy down here, a vibe that’s very fresh and energetic,” Stamper said. “In Tivoli Village, unfortunately, there was not as much foot traffic, not as many eyes seeing you. I feel we’re going to be able to capture a lot of the neighborhood just by people walking by.

“I am looking forward to all the specials and ideas in my head I wanted to do at the old Ada’s but knew they weren’t going to be especially well received or doable. Here, we can do some fun, weird stuff, and it won’t feel out of place.”

Unexpection matches

Such as a Dungeness crab salad with walnuts — who would think to pair the two? — and with pickled and smashed cucumber, one garniture sharp, one mellow. Or a tart shell fashioned from a savory dough, filled with taleggio cheese curd then topped with a gelée of rehydrated sour cherries. Or an O’Connor Beef skirt steak with green peppercorn chips.

“You focus on simple ingredients and elevate them with flavor techniques and combinations that are not standard,” Trees said.

The other afternoon, the chef convened the staff, including new hires, for a pep talk and a tasting of new menu items. It’s a scene repeated at all the restaurants in Trees’ portfolio: Esther’s Kitchen, Al Solito Posto, Bar Boheme, Petite Boheme and the new High Steaks Vegas atop the Rio. Ada’s might have a new home, but some things never change.

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.