If you work in nightlife in Las Vegas, this time of year isn’t all gingerbread and Christmas carols. ’Tis the season of new venues, and that means lots of hard work to prepare for that big opening night. For Jennipher Frost, the clock is ticking down to December 28. That’s when the former food and beverage director of the SLS Beverly Hills and new marketing manager of Andrea’s at Encore will fling open the doors and give us a taste of what she’s been working on. And with chef Joseph Elevado helming the kitchen, chances are it’s going to taste pretty damn good.

What drew you to this project?

First off, Sean Christie approached me. I’ve known Sean for a long, long time, and anything that Sean has an idea behind I know it’s a great idea. And then when he’s like, “It’s the Wynn,” which also sparks your attention, because [it’s a] five-star hotel, the best in Vegas. Then, he told me a little about the concept of Andrea’s—we call it hip vibe dining—kind of like a supper club with their own little quirk to it.

Is there added pressure, since the restaurant is named after Andrea Wynn?

You always want to make sure it’s the best, especially given that you know who it is and you know who it’s named after. ... You know they’re going to be checking in, you know it’s her name, so of course, you want it to be better than any other restaurant at the Wynn.

In your words, what is “vibe dining?”

Vibe dining is kind of the cool place to be. When I lived in LA, it was always the hip spot or somewhere you just want to be seen. ... You always just want to be there, even if you’re just going in to see the décor or look at the cocktail menu.

With that style of dining, I imagine people will want to sit. Will you be trying to turn tables, or can guests make a leisurely nightlife transition?

Most restaurants, that’s what they want to do. It’s dine and turn. This isn’t like that. We want people to come in and enjoy. So it’s not like you come in for an hour or two, you leave. If you want to sit there all night—the music’s great, the atmosphere’s great ... We’re not trying to turn them out or hustle them to leave because the next person’s in. So obviously it’s going to be a little harder to get in, because people are going to want to stay. With the music and the atmosphere, people are going to want to be there.

If you want to have dinner and then go to Surrender, how will the transition work?

We do have a door that’s linked, but it’s not like people can just walk through. For people who want to come dine and have a table reservation, we’re going to have the waitress come through when you’re done eating and walk you through a back door to your table, so you don’t have to go all the way around.

I love that Steve Angello’s title at Andrea’s is musical chef. How is that different from a traditional music director?

Obviously the name in itself. Steve Angello, I believe, is one of the best of the best. And I think it helps having someone who knows so much about music. He’s going to set the tone right; he’s going to know the timing. ... People come to the nightclubs now from all across the country just to see him and hear his name, so I think that’s a big step, just having him alone.

Are you the same Jennipher who was on America’s Next Top Model?

You Googled me? Yes, back in the day I was. You know, it was fun when I was young, but now I don’t tell anybody. Every once in a while someone will come up to me and go, “You’re that girl!” And I’m like, “Oh no. What girl?”