Sneak peek: Ada’s opens at Tivoli Village

James Trees, who’s built a dedicated following at his Esther’s Kitchen in the Arts District, will open Ada’s at Tivoli Village on Thursday.

Like Esther’s Kitchen, Ada’s has an extensive menu that leans heavily to pastas and pizzas, but with creative — and seasonal — twists. The Market salad really does reflect the market, with peaches from the village’s farmers market (in addition to hazelnuts, ricotta and mustards). Pastas are made in-house and include a rustic rye rigatoni all’amatriciana with crispy guanciale, onion and chili, and the popular gemelli, tossed with pistachio pesto, lemon zest and Pecorino.

Pizzas include one with burrata, cherry tomatoes, smoked ricotta, basil and Pecorino; one with foie gras, duck, pistachio butter, truffle cheese and jam; and the Bianco, with boschetto cheese, white asparagus, cauliflower and enoki mushrooms.

There are side dishes of beets with ricotta gnudi, basil, sorrel and golden balsamic, and antipasti such as arancini with summer corn, truffle and chili. Also on the menu is Trees’ immensely popular hard-crusted country-style bread, served with “good butter,” olive oil and sea salt, or with the addition of burrata or anchovy butter.

There’s a rolling gin cart, serving cocktails based on that spirit as servers move it around the 40-seat restaurant (with additional patio seating available soon).

And not to be forgotten is Trees’ Best Ice Cream, served at a separate counter. It’s all made without any bases, he said, in chef-driven seasonal and artisanal flavors such as a delicate and delectable peach-ricotta, balsamic strawberry and buttermilk, and spearmint chip made with fresh mint.

For details, go to the restaurant’s website, adaslv.com.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0474. Follow @HKRinella on Twitter.