Two recently dining experiences made me rethink my idea of dining out. My local dining experiences are ones I am hoping to experience on my future travels, and certainly ones I will seek out on upcoming trips. Oftentimes travel inspires us to seek out new activities at home, but sometimes hometown experiences can provide inspiration for our travels.

On Sunday night, I enjoyed dinner at Sampan in Philadelphia. My two friends and I indulged in the chef’s tasting — seven shared courses and dessert. I’m used to choosing one or two courses to enjoy myself while dining out; rarely am I as indulgent as multiple courses. But the food was portioned appropriately and spaced accordingly to ensure I was not overly stuffed but pleasantly full and satisfied. And the best part: I was able to enjoy a little taste of everything!

At Sampan, we enjoyed General’s Tso’s soup dumplings, Philly Cheesesteak bao buns, crab wonton tacos, Korean beef satay, filet mignon, salt and pepper shrimp and scallops, and Kobe beef fried rice. Should your travels take you to Sampan, I recommend the dumplings, satay, fried rice and the seafood dish. Dessert was mini ice cream cones with chocolate Nutter Butter and vanilla Twizzler ice creams.

The overindulgence continued Monday night. A friend of mine is a member of Doylestown’s new Standard Club, a membership lounge with a gourmet menu. Usually closed Mondays, the club opened for a private chef’s table, and my friend brought three of us along to sample. This was an eight-course meal, and each course was simply amazing. The experience started with a shrimp gumbo, and the courses that followed included root vegetables, prime rib, monkfish, homemade tortellinis, a carbonara with poached eggs and pork shank, a salad, beet risotta, fried goat cheese and a ginger cookie dessert. A phenomenal meal, again perfectly portioned and paced.

It was a weekend full of eating and experiences I’d love to try all around the world. 

— Kim Krol, managing editor