Esther's Kitchen

This restaurant was reviewed in the March 2018 LVA; some of the information contained in this review may no longer be accurate.

A new Italian restaurant in the downtown Arts District called Esther’s Kitchen is getting raves, so we gave it a try. It has a cool vibe and decent prices, but don’t go expecting spaghetti and meatballs or veal parmesan. The menu is brief and the preparation is, call it, creative. We had a fettuccine vongole that was unlike any we’ve had before—heavy on parsley and preserved lemon, but with plenty of clams. It’s not something we’d tell you to run out and try, but we came away with two recommendations that we would. The charcuterie plate is fantastic for $23. It’s served in stages—pickled veggies, bread and spreads, cheese, then meats, so the tastes don’t run together if you don’t want them to. Then there’s the dessert that you probably wouldn’t choose without a prompt. It’s a butterscotch budino (custard) for $8 that’s tremendous. Wines are $10 by the glass or $36/$40 by the bottle. Get the charcuterie, budino, and a bottle of your choice and you’ll have a memorable meal (and a buzz) for two for under $100.