Dish, the popular Southern restaurant in Plaza Midwood, has been sold to the owners of Sweet Lew’s. Kristen Wile/UP

Dish, a long-standing restaurant serving an eclectic menu in the heart of Plaza Midwood, has been sold. It will remain Dish under its new operators, including operating partner Lewis Donald, owner of Sweet Lew’s BBQ.

Along with taking over the lease, the sale includes all of Dish’s assets, including its recipes. The sale is expected to go through at the end of the month. The restaurant will then be closed for a week for some minor updates, including changing out the windows, repainting inside and out, updating bathrooms, and spiffing up the bar upstairs.

Dish will reopen on October 8 with an edited menu. One of the first changes Donald will make is to improve the sourcing of the restaurant, using local farmers. He anticipates eventually shifting many of the longstanding menu items to a Dish Classics section of the menu, and adding more classic country dishes, such as tuna noodle casserole, braised short ribs, and grits.

“I think you can expect to see some Southern dishes, some refined Southern dishes,” Donald says.

The restaurant will also make use of the smoker at Sweet Lew’s for dish components like smoked tomatoes to pair with grits, or smoked shrimp.

Donald will be at the restaurant over the next few weeks learning how the kitchen runs and looking at sales reports. Because of the improved sourcing, prices will go up slightly. Former sous chef at Futo Buta, Vance Houser, will also be working in the kitchen with Donald. Houser is a Charlotte native. Donald says they’ll likely hire a consultant to revamp their cocktail program with some simple options.

At the front of the restaurant, the counter will be covered in stainless steel, evoking a diner vibe, and will be the home to an old-school ice cream counter, with shakes, splits, and sodas. There will also be a pastry case with classic Southern desserts, like peanut butter pie and pecan pie.

The restaurant will shift to be open seven days a week, serving only brunch on Sundays. —Kristen Wile