Farmhouse Dinner at Talula’s Table, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

Yes, you need to make your reservation a year ahead of time, but the farmhouse dinner at Talula's Table in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia, is worth the wait. Talula's is a cafe and market by day, but at seven o'clock every evening, chef Bryan Sikora and his wife, Aimee Olexy, transform the place into a restaurant—of sorts. At a single pinewood table that seats 12 guests, an extraordinary, prix fixe BYOB dinner takes place. I've had some of the best meals of my life there: eight-course feasts featuring dishes like pan-roasted, tamarind-glazed pheasant with candied turnip gratin, perfectly cooked crab poached in butter with lemon-ricotta ravioli, rich and flavorful house-made pates and terrines, and more. But the magic has to do with more than just the menu. It's the sense of community; it's being able to talk with the chefs about their food. For four hours, you get to put everyday life on pause and enjoy an unhurried meal. That's quite a feat in these times. —Derek Lee, East Fallowfield, Pennsylvania