Sarah Thompson runs Casa Playa as Encore's coastal-Mexican destination — a JBF Best Chef Southwest finalist in 2025 and a returning finalist in 2026, which is the credential rhythm that pulled this from resort filler into something the Vegas press tracks year over year. The kitchen runs coastal Mexican with a heavy ceviche + agua chile + open-fire seafood program; the indoor-outdoor pool-adjacent room reads as resort-glamour rather than casino-floor. For a chef-anchored Mexican destination at Wynn that earns its Encore slot on cooking, not just program design.