A new chef and new dishes are coming to a popular Dilworth wine bar

Simple small plates are still reigning supreme at Dilworth Tasting Room, but Brett Levan is in charge now. Levan, a Johnson & Wales graduate who has worked at The Mirage in Las Vegas and The Umstead’s Herons in Cary, is joining the DTR team as executive chef.

You may also know him from his work with The Liberty and Halcyon (he helped open both establishments), and as the former chef de cuisine at Passion8, now rebranded as Luca Modern Italian Kitchen.

Now you’ll know him as the guy behind DTR’s latest menu items like Espana flat bread, warm focaccia and spreads, margherita panini, and shaved speck and cheese panini. See the full food menu here.

“We still like the idea of keeping things simple with a menu made up of snacks, small bites, incredible cheese and salumi plates, sandwiches, salads and sweets,” said DTR Owner/Sommelier Jaffer Kovic in a release. “But Brett has developed some really creative twists on familiar dishes.”

And there are still plenty of options to pair with these twists.

Wines by the glass feature a rotation of seven whites and seven reds from around the world. Not to mention an entire wall of wines by the bottle, plus regional and international craft beers to pick from.

“I’ve had a lot of creative freedom in the kitchen and have loved thinking about which wines or beers our new dishes pair best with,” Levan said. “It’s great to be part of a true neighborhood hangout.”

And if you stop by to taste the new plates, don’t forget to hang out on the patio while you’re at it.