insidetoronto.ca
December 26 & 28, 2007

Top tables of 2007

By: Eric Velland

I was fortunate to have done a lot of fine dining this year - so much so that I couldn't fit all the highlights into one column. Here is the first instalment of my favourite places to eat in 2007.

BEST RESTAURANT
I thought Rain was a shoe-in for my best restaurant meal of 2007, but a recent dinner at Splendido (88 Harbord St., 416-929-7788, www.splendido.ca ) won by a nose. God is in the details, and at Splendido they include long-stemmed roses, Spiegelau glasses and peanut butter chocolate truffles presented with the bill. From the welcoming tray of hors d'oeuvres to the warm Grand Marnier crepes, there was not one misstep from chef David Lee's brigade. The service is the city's best; second place isn't even close. It is also one of the city's most expensive restaurants, but, for a special occasion, this brand of decadent pampering is worth it.

BEST DIM SUM
As I've probably mentioned before, I'm not much of a brunch man. But I do love dim sum. Dynasty (131 Bloor St. W., 2nd floor, 416-923-3323) has been my go-to spot for more than a decade now and it has never let me down. My favourite dishes include crusty taro dumplings, barbecue pork puffs, deep-fried octopus fingers and steamed dumplings with mushrooms and snow pea leaves. While the dining room is cavernous, it's still a good idea to make reservations on weekends.

BEST VEGETARIAN
I had another excellent meal at Live Organic Food Bar (264 Dupont St., 416-515-2002, www.livefoodbar.ca), hands down, the best vegetarian restaurant in the city. Second place isn't even close. Order the raw combo to experience the full range of the kitchen's talents. It's amazing what can be done with a blender, food dehydrator and a lot of imagination. Save room for the almond dream and let the words "delicious vegan dessert" pass your lips for the first time.

BEST EXOTIC SNACK
Wandering around Kensington Market is like visiting and international food court. Should I have a Jamaican patty, Chilean empanada or Portuguese custard tart? My favourite exotic snack is the pupusas at Latin American Emporium (243 Augusta Ave., 416-351-9646). These thick, hand-formed corn tortillas are stuffed with some combination of pork, beans and cheese. Cooked on a hot griddle, they're served with hot sauce and curtido, a cross between sauerkraut and coleslaw. Warning to vegetarians and takers of the drug Lipitor: these puppies are made with lard.

BEST SUSHI
The popularity of sushi in Toronto shows no signs of waning, and it won't be long before the stretch of Bloor Street in the Annex is renamed Maki Way. My vote for the best affordable sushi is Sushi Marche (1105 Queen St. E., 416-463-0114), a takeout-only place in Leslieville. I am a little biased because I live two blocks away, but the rice is always perfectly cooked and just warm enough to take the chill off the fish, which, without exception, is exquisitely fresh.

BEST TAPAS
The small plates trend does show signs of slowing down, but I still love the concept of sharing a variety of tastes. I've eaten at all the big guns and the top marks for food goes to Cava (1560 Yonge St., 416-979-9918, www.cavarestaurant.ca). Their charcuterie platter is the city's best and it's one of the few restaurants where you can get strange cuts of meat like tripe, venison hearts and beef cheeks. As an added bonus, they have a great selection of sherry by the glass and take online reservations through OpenTable.com.

BEST NEWCOMER
With a cosy dining room, friendly service and Mediterranean comfort food, Karuchie (924 College St., 416-850-1729, www.karuchie.com ) stood out as my favourite new restaurant of 2007. Chef Chris Thorn picked the perfect location for his first crack at ownership - it's out of the brutally high rent zones, but close enough to attract both the Queen West hipsters and those looking to escape the Little Italy mediocrity. The menu offers the familiar, yet most dishes have one twist to make them unique.

BEST ITALIAN
I find it ironic that my favourite Italian restaurant doesn't serve pizza, spaghetti with tomato sauce, or tiramisu. How is that possible, you ask? Tutti Matti (364 Adelaide St. W., 416-597-8839, www.tuttimatti.com ) is a Tuscan restaurant to the core. The antipasto platter is a cornucopia of artisan cured meats and cheeses with homemade accoutrements such as sweet-and-sour cipollini onions. Pastas are all made from scratch, like hand-rolled pinci noodles bathed in a rustic ragu of sausage and mushrooms. Desserts are so good you'd think you were at a French restaurant.

BEST WINE BAR
While more and more restaurants are offering a better selection of wines by the glass, no one comes close to the 50-plus poured at Kultura, (169 King St. W., 416-363-0660, www.kulturarestaurant.com ). Regarded as one of the city's top sommeliers, Kim Cyr oversees the constantly evolving wine card that would educate and inspire even the most discerning oenophile. The menu features globetrotting tapas with dishes like moist jerk chicken fanned over a rich coconut-lemon risotto.

BEST TO IMPRESS
After years of professional cooking and eating, it takes a lot to impress me. But at my birthday dinner at Rain, (19 Mercer St., 416-599-RAIN, www.rainrestaurant.ca ) this year, the Rubino brothers knocked my socks off. From the luminescent bar to the unisex bathrooms, the decor dazzles, while chef Guy Rubino's upmarket Asian cuisine is nothing short of stunning. Svelte rectangular plates are custom-made with a trio of sections for three-way interpretations of single ingredients such as hamachi or Kurobuta (a.k.a. Berkshire) pork. Pastry chef Robert Gonsalves uses the same plates for his masterful creations celebrating seasonal fruits.