Furthermore, it gave birth to the Encore Tower Suites, a private, separate collection of deluxe (and ultra-deluxe) rooms - an extension of the previous Wynn Tower Suites’ philosophy - that has become the foremost choice for many of the highest of high rollers when visiting Las Vegas. The hotel features more incredible gaming, restaurants (Mizumi, Sinatra), nightclubs (XS, Intrigue), and perhaps the premier dayclub in all of Vegas, Encore Beach Club. Three years later, Wynn doubled down with Encore, a further expansion of his vision and the commitment to excellence he demonstrated with Wynn Las Vegas.

Wynn poured the decades of knowledge he had gleaned working the casino industry into erecting a monument that embodied and redefined everything that makes Las Vegas so appealing: first-rate gaming, shopping, dining, and entertainment. When legendary hotelier Steve Wynn cut the ribbon on his eponymous, $2.7 billion baby back in 2005, his vision was clear: to create the greatest hotel in Vegas history. 'When you eat here, I want you to recognize Mexico's fantastic flavors, with a bit of surprise as well.We begin our multi-part series on the infamous city of sin - a place that attracts affluent thrill-seekers of all cultures - with a profile of two of the finest resorts on the strip: Wynn Las Vegas and its sister hotel, Encore. 'My goal is to take the best of the country's cuisine and then elevate it,' Thompson notes of using wagyu beef in her tacos. Those experiences informed Casa Playa's menu. Prior to opening Encore's Casa Playa, Thompson toured these and other regions to research outstanding dishes and resources.

'Each region is so specific the food in Mexico City is totally different from what you'll enjoy in Oaxaca, and they’re both amazing.'

'That opened my eyes to a different culture and a cuisine that really spoke to me,' she says. When she was recruited to work at Cosme, the famed upscale Mexican eatery, Thompson discovered the delights of Mexican cuisine. 'I was a culinary professional who enjoyed Italian food when I started working in a Mexican kitchen,' explains the Boston-raised Thompson, who attended culinary school in New York before joining the Michelin-starred Marea, celebrated for its Italian seafood. Mexico has captured the heart of Sarah Thompson, Casa Playa's executive chef.

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