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With Turkish rugs, copper kettles and folk instruments vying for attention on the crimson walls, Istanbul offers a cozy, if somewhat cluttered, escape from the wind whipping off Sheepshead Bay. Servers immediately drop off a basket of brick-oven pide, a doughy bread resembling a massive bialy, for dipping in lemony humus, garlicky babaganus or soslu patlican, a chunky spread of eggplant stewed with tomato, green pepper, onion and garlic. Among the distinctive desserts are kazan dibi, a flan-like milk pudding sprinkled with crushed pistachios, and kunefe, a pastry of thin filo and white cheese drizzled with syrup. — Brooke Barrier

Soslu patlican, $6.50; kazan dibi, $6.50