SHREWSBURY – Sarah Thompson, a 2007 graduate of Shrewsbury High School, has been named “Best Chef: Southwest” at the James Beard Awards, held in Chicago on June 15. She is the Executive Chef at Casa Playa at the Encore Las Vegas, a coastal Mexican restaurant she opened in 2021.
With this achievement, Thompson becomes the first female chef on the Las Vegas Strip to earn this prestigious honor and the first Las Vegas–based chef in 15 years to receive a James Beard Award.
After graduating from Shrewsbury High School, Thompson attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Upon completing her studies, she moved to New York City, where she spent a decade refining her craft. Her experience includes working as a line cook at the Michelin-starred Marea, serving as sous chef at Wylie Dufresne’s Alder, and rising to executive sous chef at Cosme, the acclaimed restaurant led by chef Daniela Soto-Innes…