Unassuming Cafe Orchid offers a long list of Turkish specialties

The front of Lake View's Cafe Orchid might be a little off-putting. Its short counter and few stools facing the grill make it look like a greasy spoon. Head on back through the doorway under the lace valance, though, and you'll find a sweet little dining room with white-draped tables.

It's small (28 seats) and simply decorated, but a few pictures and ornaments make it clear that someone's made an effort to spruce the place up. A large mirror on one wall makes the diminutive space seem a little bigger.

It could be plainer still and you'd still want to eat there.

Turkish-born chef Kurt Serpin, a veteran of A La Turka and the erstwhile Cafe Istanbul, offers a long list of freshly made Mediterranean specialties at reasonable prices. These range from familiar items, such as falafel and grilled salmon, to unique dishes such as the Orchid Special, balik sarma, sardine filets wrapped in grape leaves, or alabalik, a casserole of rainbow trout and mozzarella cheese.

The family-owned Cafe Orchid opened about six months ago, replacing Demir, another Turkish restaurant. Turkish diners seem to have embraced the new spot, which always augurs well.

This easy-to-like cuisine has its roots in the Ottoman Empire and shares many dishes with other Mediterranean cultures, such as Greece and Iran, but also has its own specialties.

If you want Turkish fare, you'll likely have to head downtown. I can't quite claim that Cafe Orchid is worth a long trip to Lake View on its own, but it's definitely worth a stop if you're in the vicinity.

A good place to start exploring Cafe Orchid's lengthy menu is with the appetizer sampler, which offers nice portions of five meze, served with pita bread. The mild flavors of a smooth, relatively unseasoned hummus, which lets the flavor of the chickpeas come through, and baba ghannouj, a spread made from grilled, mashed eggplant, contrast with the lemony piquancy of an excellent tabbouleh, a salad of chopped parsley, surprisingly good tomatoes for this time of year, lettuce, green onions and cracked wheat; and the zesty flavors of ezme, a fresh, fiery blend of roasted bell and hot peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley and chopped walnuts, which give it crunch, and the unusual lentil fingers, mercimek koftesi, deliciously spicy logs of mashed red lentils and cracked wheat, seasoned with onion, cumin, and quite a lot of white and red pepper. Each of these appetizers can also be ordered separately.

Other chilled first-course choices include vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, plump with rice, currants, pine nuts and spices, but a little mushy and bland; a platter of feta and Turkish sausage with olives, vegetables and melon; and several salads.

On the hot side, try sigara borek, phyllo cigars filled with feta cheese; pan-fried mussels; and grilled portobella mushrooms with tomato sauce and cheese.

The starter list generally is so appealing that it might be tough to move on to the entrees.

Quite a few vegetarian -- even vegan -- and seafood dishes feature throughout the menu, so add Cafe Orchid to the list of good places to entertain meatless friends. Look for veggie appetizers such as imam bayildi, roasted eggplant stuffed with vegetables and pine nuts, and borani, sauteed spinach with herbs and yogurt; as well as entrees such as imam firin, baked eggplant stuffed with tomatoes and vegetables and topped with mozzarella; and turfu, a stew of eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and other vegetables in tomato sauce.

Seafood includes fried squid; skewered, grilled swordfish; and grilled shrimp.

Meat lovers will find plenty to like, too, starting with great little lamb chops, nicely grilled and served with salad and rice, and a wide variety of kebabs. The lamb shish, marinated cubes of meat, seems just a trifle chewy, and the chicken breast rather plain, but the juicy kofte, mini burger patties of well-seasoned lamb and beef, sings on the palate. Adana kebab, made from ground lamb and veggies, also wins.

A massive, well-priced combo includes all of the above plus house-made doner kebab (the Turkish answer to gyros). The kebabs all come with rice and salad.

Dark-meat fans can get Orchid's Favorite, marinated chicken drumsticks. Braised lamb shank with potatoes and vegetables makes a savory winter option.

The menu calls another comforting but less-common dish, manti, "Turkish ravioli." I'd say they're closer to tortellini-size. Stuffed with lightly spiced ground lamb, an ample bowlful of these tiny, house-made dumplings come swimming in garlicky yogurt sauce dressed with tomato.

Our server invited us up to the front to point out our dessert choices, most drenched in sugar syrup to tooth-aching sweetness. Along with familiar baklava, try kadayif, a similar pastry made from a form of phyllo that resembles shredded wheat, plus several doughier options.

Cafe Orchid serves no alcohol, but you may bring your own. Otherwise, opt for the usual sodas; ayran, a Turkish yogurt drink; tea, either herbal or Turkish-style; or small cups of thick Turkish coffee.

Cafe Orchid

1746 W. Addison St., Chicago, (773) 327-3808

Cuisine: Turkish

Setting: Basic storefront with a few frills in Lake View

Price range: Appetizers $3 to $10.95; entrees $9.95 to $20.95; desserts $3

Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily; dinner 3 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Accepts: Major credit cards

Also: BYOB; street parking; near Paulina L stop on the CTA Brown Line