Sarah Thompson, enforcement cook astatine Casa Playa astatine Wynn Las Vegas, was recognized with the James Beard Award successful the class of Best Chef: Southwest astatine the yearly awards ceremonial astatine the Lyric Opera successful Chicago June 15. The accolade marked the archetypal clip successful 15 years that a Las Vegas cook has won the award.
Thompson, who was besides nominated for the grant past year, was 1 of 3 Las Vegas finalists successful this year’s Beard Awards. She archetypal came to Las Vegas from New York City with the ATM Group to assistance unfastened Elio astatine Encore successful 2020, and erstwhile that restaurant—the archetypal Mexican edifice astatine Wynn—closed and transformed into Casa Playa, Thompson stayed connected to pb the kitchen. Casa Playa has since earned a estimation for its innovative coastal cuisine arsenic 1 of the champion Mexican restaurants successful Las Vegas.
“It is simply a immense grant to person this grant … and a testament to the hard work, passion, and hospitality of my full team,” Thompson said successful a statement. “Every day, we enactment unneurotic to marque Casa Playa a spot that celebrates the vibrant flavors, caller ingredients, and soulful traditions of Mexico—many of the reasons wherefore I fell successful emotion with Mexican cuisine. It’s an unthinkable privilege to enactment with specified talented radical who assistance bring this imaginativeness to beingness astatine Wynn Las Vegas.”
English (US)·