Sarah Thompson

Sarah Thompson is the executive chef of Casa Playa at Wynn Las Vegas, where she leads a coastal Mexican concept inside Encore Las Vegas. Wynn’s official coverage says she opened Casa Playa as executive chef in 2021 and later won the 2026 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest, becoming the first female chef on the Las Vegas Strip to receive that honor. Wynn also notes that Thompson previously worked with Michael White, Wylie Dufresne, and Andrew Carmellini before moving to Cosme, where her interest in Mexico’s ingredients and flavors deepened.