By Ryan Slattery
Mention seafood to James Beard finalist Sarah Thompson and her face lights up. It’s a topic, not surprisingly these days, that has the accomplished chef beaming with excitement ever since she took over the kitchen of Casa Playa inside Encore Las Vegas to bring a big, bold coastal Mexican cuisine experience to the resort.
The menu draws inspiration from the Baja Peninsula and Oaxaca with a focus on bright and refreshing seafood dishes, while mixing in seasonal ingredients with an in-house masa making program. Diners will also find dishes dedicated to the flavors of Mexico City–one of Thompson’s favorite food cities.
Thompson, a 2025 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef Southwest, developed her love for Mexican food in New York City after she left Michelin-starred Marea to join the team at Cosme, where she learned the intricacies of elevating Mexican food.
“That opened my eyes to a different culture and a cuisine that spoke to me,” she says. “Each region is so specific–the food in Mexico City is different from what you’ll enjoy in Oaxaca.”
Before opening Casa Playa, Thompson made multiple trips to Mexico to research regional cuisine and to get ideas for the playful, artistically plated dishes now found on the menu. That means blue shrimp ceviche, Hokkaido scallops with roasted carrot pipián, huitlacoche esquites and epazote, and oysters topped with a prickly pear mandarin mignonette, which can be found under the crudo portion of the menu next to the large-format dishes meant for sharing.
“We wanted to set the tone for our guests and encourage them to enjoy our menu with a group,” Thompson says. “Plates like the tableside salsa service and the whole roasted carnitas feel communal, reflecting a family-style experience that starts in our kitchen and (we hope) extends to every one of our guests. Other dishes, like our La Flama Blanca dessert, have dramatic presentations that feel interactive and memorable.”
She continues, “Seasonality plays a big role in our menu development. I have such an affinity for vegetables and get elated once new ingredients become available,” Thompson reveals. And while the Las Vegas climate doesn’t allow for much agriculture, she sources fresh produce from farms across Nevada, California and Arizona. Seafood, meanwhile, is reeled in from just off the Pacific Coast including striped bass from Baja California and oysters plucked from Tómales Bay.
Some of Casa Playa’s other stellar signature dishes include pork belly al pastor, a large-format dish served tableside with roasted baby pineapple and housemade tortillas and salsa, and octopus braised and slowly cooked for tenderness and served with a coloradito mole.
“Coloradito means ‘a little bit of color,’ so similar ingredients to a mole rojo are cooked for less time,” Thompson explains. “It is rich, nutty, slightly sweet, but has a beautiful, warming spice to it from the variety of chiles. The way we cook our octopus balances nicely with the mole and the tangy potato escabeche.”
Thompson is also one of the only restaurants in Las Vegas with its own masa program. A partnership with Masienda helps source and bring in several distinct varieties of corn from small producers in Oaxaca and a dedicated team turns between 50 and 75 kilos a day into fresh corn tortillas.
The artistry of the food pairs well with the vibrant, burnt oranges of a dining room that visually brings to mind a fiery beach sunset. Guests are greeted in dramatic fashion by a giant Olmec head sculpture in a corridor lined with large stone plinths and tropical foliage.
“We conceptualized the interiors as a way of transporting guests to coastal Mexico, while celebrating the country’s spirit through rich hues, painterly walls, and lively patterns, as well as curated art pieces and contemporary furniture that honor Mexican craftsmanship,” says Todd-Avery Lenahan, President and Chief Creative Officer of Wynn Design & Development. “These elements come together to encapsulate the essence of the country, providing a foot-in-the-sand resort style experience. The intention was to create a candlelit coastal escape that embodies the essence of Mexico–bright, spirited and festive.”
The design, Thompson says, perfectly matches the Casa Playa concept.
“I want our guests to absorb the complete experience, from the ambiance to the food to the cocktails designed by Mariena Mercer Boarini [Master Mixologist of Wynn Resorts North America],” Thompson says. “I’m proud of my team and the work they put into each dish, and my hope is that our guests see and taste that through our cooking and want to come back for more.”
