Mention brunch to most chefs, and the glum look on their faces will tell you how they feel about a meal that requires an early prep start. But for Darnell Reed, chef-owner of Luella’s Southern Kitchen, brunch is the only meal his restaurant offers since moving in August to Albany Park, at 4114 North Kedzie Avenue. After 10 years in Lincoln Square, Reed saw the end of his lease as an opportunity to change things up: He purchased a building and tweaked the restaurant’s hours to daytime only. In an industry where late nights are the norm, Reed wanted to spend more time with family — Luella’s is named for his Mississippi-born great-grandmother, after all.

At the cozy new digs, which feature a back patio, Reed’s menu modifications include upgrading the shrimp and smoked grits with crab stuffing and adding the Kentucky hot brown: an open-faced smoked turkey sandwich on housemade brioche with roasted tomatoes, bacon, and Mornay sauce. “We want to represent the entire South,” Reed says. Specials are also part of Luella’s 2.0. There’s a French toast of the week — think peach cobbler and banana pudding — and savory dishes like country-fried steak. One thing that hasn’t changed: the buttermilk-brined fried chicken and waffles, which make an appearance on just about every table. “I can’t tell you how many chefs questioned us being open just for brunch,” Reed says. “But this has been great. It’s a much better life.” And if the packed dining room on a recent Wednesday afternoon is any indication, customers have adjusted just fine, too.