Don’t be intimidated by Pasha’s white-tableclothness; it’s fairly cheap and casual. Deep red walls and dark wood chairs make it something of a safe haven for Rice Village lunchgoers, as well as a nice date-night prospect. Cold starters such as ezme (chopped tomatoes, onions, parsley, and crushed walnuts), imam bayildi (stuffed eggplant cooked in olive oil), and labneh (yogurt curd, walnuts, dill, and garlic), are refreshing, flavorful introductions and palate cleansers. All mains come with Turkish rice, grilled tomato, and cabbage, and yogurts and hummus are made in-house. Like Istanbul Grill, Pasha serves Turkish pizzas, and they’re nearly as good; their thick crusts are piled high with specialty toppings, which can include lamb, feta, dill, egg, or Turkish sausage. There’s a hospitable BYOB—we’d like to recommend one of the Turkish wines here, but they’re not among some of the better Turkish wines out there; bring some of Lebanon’s outstanding and pretty affordable Château Musar for real fireworks.

For dessert, baklava is a solid staple—not too dry nor too honeyed—but baked rice pudding is rich and dreamy. Lunch will run you less than $10 and includes some soup or salad, which is a good deal for a filling, quite healthy meal. That’s somewhat worth the hassle of parking in the Village.