Al Solito Posto

Year in, year out, Chef James Trees dominates our survey’s Italian category, thanks to two very different restaurants in two very different neighborhoods.

The Arts District has his flagship Esther’s Kitchen, which offers West Coast energy and California-style Italian. In Tivoli VIllage (outside of Summerlin North), Al Solito Posto is a tribute to the East Coast Italian cuisine that dominated Las Vegas during its Rat Pack heyday.

Al Solito Posto (which means “the usual place” in Italian) proves that the classic red-sauce dishes many of us grew up with, which are so often dismissed as pedestrian by “serious” foodies, are deserving of more respect than they receive at your local pizza place. Trees has charged executive Chef Adam Rios with reminding us just how good chicken parm, lasagna al forno and Sunday gravy can be when treated with respect.

To round out the experience, Trees’ corporate pastry chef Jake Yergensen supplies knockout breads and desserts. A strong bar program complements the menu. And the expansive outdoor patio makes Al Solito Posto particularly inviting when Las Vegas weather cooperates.