Esther’s Kitchen

Chef James Trees named this cozy downtown restaurant after his great aunt—the one he credits with helping him curate a menu of Italian comfort food favs. It’s rich with housemade pastas like rigatoni with black kale pesto ($24), sourdough pizzas ($19-$24) with some edge (sausage and honeycrisp apple or a duck confit pie are attention grabbers) and seasonal dishes worth making the trip downtown every few months. Sip a craft cocktail upstairs in the Treehaus, a homey bar with a laidback vibe.