Comfort & Floyd: Luncheonette returns to South Philly corner

The southeast corner of 11th and Wharton Streets in South Philly has been home to a luncheonette for decades — most notably the colorful Carman's Country Kitchen, which ran from Jan. 1, 1990, to Dec. 16, 2012.

New in the tiny space is Comfort & Floyd (1301 S. 11th St., 215-465-2719), run by neighbors Sara and Bruce Reckahn.

It's a homecoming for Bruce Reckahn, who is chef. He worked for Carman Luntzel, the warmhearted, fun-loving character who seated patrons in a pickup truck parked outside, passed out business cards containing a vulgar pun on the eatery's name, and sassed at the cops across the street at the Third District.

Bruce also worked in and managed such kitchens as Strangelove's in Center City, the Abbaye in Northern Liberties, and the long-ago Old City bruncherie Blue in Green. That's where he met Sara, who decorated Comfort & Floyd in a pleasant, airy style, adding a butterflied wood counter and cookbooks for sale from Molly's Books & Records in the Italian Market — a nod to Bruce's cookbook collection. Sara also has a restaurant background, as her family that worked at and then owned Chestnut Hill's Night Kitchen Bakery for 15 years.

Comfort & Floyd is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. (In other words, it's closed Tuesdays.)