Over at Professional VMware, Cody Bunch has recently posted a couple of blogs that show how to perform some common tasks on ESXi that some might be used to using the COS for. One is on adding a vSwitch, and the other is on finding CPU Ready values.
Also, at vKnowledge, Ted Steenvoorden has posted on how to adjust HBA queue depth on ESXi.
Be sure to check back with both blogs — I'm sure they'll be adding more useful tips over time. Thanks Cody and Ted!