{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Tasting Notes Toronto by Insider Wine","title":"Tasting Menus Are Out. Sara Bet on One. — Adam Minster","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/afdf8eb7\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3690,"description":"Why would a restaurant kill à la carte when the majority of fine dining is bringing it back?\nAdam Minster is a partner in The Food Dudes — the group behind Rasa, Sara, Chop'Hop and Pantry — and this spring Sara went all-in on a single seven-course tasting menu.\nWe talk about the 70% of guests who'd already made the decision for him, the choices that keep it $115 instead of $300, and how a $60 wine pairing works economically.  Plus: the hospitality reflex you can hire for but can't train. \nIf you run a restaurant, work a floor, or just want to know what a $115 tasting menu is really buying you, this episode is a must-listen.\n\nTasting Menus Are Out. Sara Bet on One. — Adam Minster\nTimestamps:\n00:00 Why Sara killed à la carte\n02:12 $115, not $300: the strip loin math\n04:02 The Journey, course by course\n09:15 The hospitality reflex: hire for it, can't train it\n11:07 A $60 wine pairing, and why guests just want to trust you\n17:49 \"I can't eat your dry eggs anymore\"\n20:57 \"This is the guy\": The Food Dudes to Rasa\n24:13 Cook for the guest — and the salad people would riot over\n29:50 Opening Sara: \"I wasn't ready\"\n35:25 COVID, the great equalizer\n37:55 Closing Rasa for a month. Still worth it?\n40:06 Chop'Hop, 3pm closes, and the best salads in Toronto\n51:12 Delivery apps: \"They f***ing suck\"\n53:04 Which half of the restaurant the robots replace first\n\n🙌 Enjoyed the episode? Follow, rate, and review Tasting Notes Toronto on your favourite podcast platform — it really helps others discover the show. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.\n\nLinks:\nSara — @sararestaurantto\nRasa — @rasarestaurantto\nChop'Hop — @chophop_salads\nThe Food Dudes — @fooddudes\nTasting Notes Toronto — @tastingnotestoronto\nhttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTastingNotesPodcast\nIf this episode was worth your time, the best thank-you is sharing it with one person who'd love it.\nHosted and produced by Alex Abbott Boyd · Recorded in Toronto · © 2026 Tasting Notes Toronto.","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/qu6sl5IgAAe55ng9ARpyYSW-PPfIZ_6b8pSn9asQ7QY/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS81ZTNh/NGU4YjQ5YmQ5ODk4/NTdiOGYwNGZhNDM1/ZjZmZi5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}