Chef Sarah Thompson Of Casa Playa On Mentorship & Making Her Mark In Las Vegas

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4.6 • 592 Ratings

🗓️ 19 March 2025

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today’s guest is Sarah Thompson, executive chef at Casa Playa at Wynn Resort in Las Vegas and a newly minted James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef: Southwest. Before getting tapped to helm the 300-seat restaurant, Sarah got her start working at celebrated spots like Marea and Cosme in New York City. Today, she’s one of the few female executive chefs on the world-famous Strip. Sarah joins host Kerry Diamond to talk about the influence of her family, why she was drawn to fine dining, her tight-knit team, her thoughts on teaching and mentorship, and more. Thank you to Las Vegas for supporting our show. Learn more and book your trip here. For Jubilee 2025 tickets, click here. To get our new Love Issue, click here. Visit cherrybombe.com for subscriptions and show transcripts. More on Sarah: Instagram, Casa Playa, Wynn Las Vegas More on Kerry: Instagram

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everyone. You are listening to Radio Cherry Bomb, and I'm your host, Carrie Diamond,
0:10.1	coming to you from Sirius XM Studio at Wynn, Las Vegas. Today's guest is Sarah Thompson,
0:16.6	executive chef of Casa Playa at Encore at the Win. Sarah, who was recently named a semifinalist for a Beard Award for Best Chef Southwest,
0:25.6	is one of the few female executive chefs on the strip in Las Vegas.
0:30.0	Sarah wanted to be a chef since she was a teenager
0:32.2	and worked in some of New York City's top fine dining restaurants
0:35.5	before packing up her Brooklyn life and heading to
0:38.2	Vegas. We chat about how her family influenced her career, the Masa program at Casa Playa,
0:43.9	some nights Sarah's team makes thousands of tortillas, the dishes she can't take off the menu,
0:49.5	and where the chefs hang out after hours. Stay tuned for my chat with Sarah Thompson.
0:56.4	This episode is presented by Las Vegas. The city is a culinary playground where innovation, global flavors, and
1:02.1	unforgettable experiences collide. From its vibrant food halls featuring renowned coast-to-coast
1:07.3	eats to elevated fine dining concepts with world-renowned chefs.
1:11.6	Las Vegas redefines gastronomic excellence.
1:14.6	In 2025, Las Vegas continues to prove itself as a must-visit destination for food lovers,
1:20.0	offering something extraordinary for every palate.
1:23.5	There's Casa Playa at the Win, where chef Sarah Thompson and her team create dishes inspired by coastal Mexico.
1:29.8	Sarah was just named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Southwest.
1:34.3	Congratulations, Sarah.
1:35.9	Pinkies by Vanderpump is a new concept from the former star of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and restaurateur Lisa Vanderpump that opened at Flamingo Las Vegas this past December.
1:46.3	They offer distinctive dishes and statement cocktails that translate into Instagramable moments for guests.
1:52.4	You know, I love a little IG moment.
	...

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