Culinary honors:
Sarah Thompson Photo by: Melanie Dunea
By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)
Tuesday, June 16, 2026 | 8 a.m.
Sarah Thompson, enforcement cook of Casa Playa astatine Wynn Las Vegas, won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southwest connected Monday nighttime astatine the foundation’s yearly Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremonial successful Chicago — capping what was a landmark twelvemonth of designation for the Las Vegas culinary scene.
Thompson, who has led the coastal Mexican edifice since it opened successful 2021, became the archetypal pistillate cook connected the Las Vegas Strip to gain the prestigious recognition, wide regarded arsenic the highest grant successful American cuisine. She was besides a finalist successful the aforesaid class successful 2025.
“It is simply a immense grant to person this grant from the James Beard Foundation, and a testament to the hard work, passion, and hospitality of my full team,” Thompson said Monday astatine the Lyric Opera of Chicago, tract of the ceremony. “Every day, we enactment unneurotic to marque Casa Playa a spot that celebrates the vibrant flavors, caller ingredients and soulful traditions of Mexico.”
The past clip Las Vegas earned a Beard Award successful the main contention was 2011, erstwhile Saipin Chutima of Lotus of Siam tied for champion cook honors successful the Southwest region. The past outright Las Vegas victor earlier Thompson was Claude Le Tohic, past of Joël Robuchon astatine MGM Grand, who won Best Chef: Southwest successful 2010.
Thompson’s paper astatine Casa Playa draws connected accepted Mexican culinary techniques and sourcing. She brings successful food from the Pacific seashore — including striped bass from Baja California and oysters from Tomales Bay — and works with farms crossed Nevada, California and Arizona for seasonal produce.
Her masa programme features six varieties of maize imported from Oaxaca and processed successful location utilizing nixtamalization, an past Mesoamerican method that transforms dried maize into masa done soaking successful an alkaline solution.
Since opening Casa Playa, Thompson has built a room wherever much than fractional the unit are women, reflecting her committedness to mentorship and practice successful the industry. She has besides supported organizations including Hot Bread Kitchen, Meals connected Wheels and the Women’s Hospitality Initiative.
Thompson’s triumph came arsenic Las Vegas placed semifinalists crossed 14 categories and establishments successful this year’s competition, illustrating however broadly the city’s eating country has expanded beyond the Strip.
Tamba, a modern Indian edifice successful Town Square, precocious arsenic a finalist for Best New Restaurant, and Brian Howard of Sparrow + Wolf was a finalist for Best Chef: Southwest alongside Thompson. In that class alone, the metropolis placed six semifinalists: Thompson; Howard; Yuri Szarzewski of Partage; Oulay Ceesay Fisher of Calabash African Kitchen; Jamie Tran of Black Sheep; and James Trees of Bar Bohème.
Other Las Vegas semifinalists spanned a wide scope of categories.
Ellie Parker, enforcement cook of Main St. Provisions successful the Arts District — who besides won Season 24 of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” — earned a motion for Emerging Chef. Kimberly McIntosh of MILKFISH Bakeshop was nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef oregon Baker. Ada’s was a semifinalist for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, and Nocturno earned a motion for Best New Bar. Bank Atcharawan of Jipata was recognized for Outstanding Professional successful Beverage Service, maestro mixologist Mariena Mercer Boarini of Aft Cocktail Deck astatine Wynn Las Vegas for Outstanding Professional successful Cocktail Service, and Elizabeth Blau of Blau + Associates — which operates Buddy V’s and Honey Salt — for Outstanding Restaurateur.
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