Kat Thomas is tableside, describing the wine. To the “Wine Goddess” of Ada’s wine bar, wine is a story in progress. Gesturing lithely, she paints a vividly compelling word picture of the tiny, ocean-facing part of Portugal that produces Carcavelos, a choice fortified wine. And when she brandishes a bottle from California’s Cliff Lede Vineyards, she writes you into the narrative with humor and verve: “This one’s got a little Cab funk in it, which is my favorite, so it’s gotta be yours tonight.”

Ada’s, which recently relocated from the west side’s Tivoli Village to the Arts District and has been shortlisted for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, is very much a team operation; Kat readily praises chef du cuisine Jackson Stamper, sous chef Mick Skarda and the rest of Ada’s crew. But Ada’s feels like Kat’s habitat, and that’s where we meet to talk wine and lettuce. Yes, lettuce.

Are you Vegas-born?

Almost. I’m definitely Jersey. I was born and raised in Atlantic City. I moved out here in ‘97 to meet my real mom. I fell in love with it, and I’ve been here ever since. … I can’t picture my home anywhere else in this country right now. I can picture myself outside the country, plenty of spots. But Vegas is like wet cement, where you can put your footsteps down and maybe have a little impact on the way it is in 20, 30 years from now.

How did you get your start as a sommelier?

I loved being a little hospitalian when I was little. I loved serving my family during mealtime, prepping the salads … and I love lettuce, so that’s still a thing. Even when I was four years old, I had that joy of not only being the one to control the flow, but also just seeing how people reacted.

I went to school for psychology. Moved out here, said ‘Ew, [psychology is] horrible. Don’t want to do that.’ But I lucked out and got a job immediately opening the Bellagio, and that changed everything for me. It was really a golden time for Las Vegas hospitality, for food and dining. I met Rob Bigelow, a master sommelier, who became a mentor.

I fell in love with the excitement of everything wine and beverage, and I opened Sage at Aria. Mike Shetler was my somm there. I loved watching [Mike] do inventory, which is weird sounding to people. Rob was then the wine director at Aria, and he said, ‘You know, I’m giving you one last chance to take this somm position.’ … That began the journey in 2011, and I never stopped.

How did you come to open Ada’s with James Trees?

I was with Hakkasan Group prior to COVID. It was an amazing position; I was traveling around the country teaching and buying wine. But then COVID hit, and I was like, ‘Well, then, I’m gonna go teach yoga online.’ That was super challenging. I give a lot of props to everybody that goes out there and hustles for clients.

I was at Garagiste one day with my partner doing what we did best, which is drinking lots of wine. James was there, and we started talking. A bottle or two of wine later, we’re still talking, and he’s asking about, ‘if there was an Ada’s wine bar,’ you know, my thoughts on this and that. So, of course, I gave ‘em. I’d never really sat down and talked with James at length, even though I had been to [Esther’s Kitchen] at least twice a week. We’re walking out, and he’s like, ‘All right, so when are you gonna start?’ I told him, ‘Okay, I’ll work for you, but I don’t want to be in charge of anything. I want to work like three, maybe four days a week, max. I don’t want to be in charge.’ And he’s like, ‘Mm-hmm.’ Six years later…

You once described a wine to me by promising, “This one’s gonna slap you around the mouth a bit.” Perfection.

That’s why I don’t fit on the Strip, though! I think it brings a little more comfortability and fun to the game. It’s all about reading the human or the vibe. If I know that I’m there for that moment to have a little edgier fun, or if it needs to be more classic service, then I can provide that. But if there’s an opportunity, and there usually is at Ada’s, for me or my somm team—Jen [Szychowski] or Gabor [Foth]—to expand the personality, then I encourage them to do it, because that’s what makes Ada’s so uniquely itself. We are who we are.

Okay, curveball question: Recommend a lettuce.

Oh, I love you. [She rolls up her sleeve to show off a lettuce tattoo.] This is my favorite lettuce of all time, iceberg.

What’s your favorite way to serve it in a salad?

I love it finely chopped, ribboned, with just olive oil, citrus, a little pepper and such. And of course, the wedge. If you don’t like a wedge, you can suck it.

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