The intimate wine bistro Village Vine in Swarthmore has had a change in ownership, and that has turned it into an all-purpose restaurant open for brunch and dinner, writes food critic Craig LaBan for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

It’s also made possible an amazing house-made apple dumpling serviced with salted caramel cremeux.

The bistro, which opened in 2020, focused on interesting wines and small plates but had six different chefs before the business was sold in late November to new chef-owner John Hearn.

Heam, a former chef-partner at Roots Café in West Chester, has brought consistency to the kitchen.

Offerings include an organic hot chicken sandwich spiced with a bottle hot sauce Hearn developed with his Roots partner, a seared tuna tataki starter, tempura-fried shrimp in a Calabrian chile glaze, hand-cranked cavatelli served carbonara-style with a creamy, yolk-topped sauce studded with bits of Ibenco pork and peas.

There’s a quality burger and a cheese list with excellent selections, including St. Malachi from Chester County’s Farm at Doe Run.

It excels in house desserts with Hearn’s delicate take on apple dumplings and a creamy tower of dairy-soaked sponge cake from his tres leches recipe.

Find out more about what Village Vine has to offer in The Philadelphia Inquirer.