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Here is the second installment of columnist Eric Vellend's favourite places to eat in 2007. Part I appeared Dec. 26.

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.

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.