Of the 11 places on last year's roundup of the best new restaurants in Toronto, only one (Karuchie) has since gone bust. Another has overhauled management (Coca) but as for the other nine, life seems to be humming right along.

I hope at least the same can be said a year from now for the crop of restaurants born in the city during the past 12 months. We're now in recessionary times and already menus are being nipped, tucked and tweaked. Promises of more comfort food and value-pricing (and no, I'm not talking McD's) are becoming more common; and higher end new spots like Nyood and Nota Bene are likely to see more empty tables than they'd like if housing prices and stock portfolios continue to plummet.

With a few exceptions food trends started to shift this year. I'm thankful that not every new restaurant serves tapas; and the whole molecular gastronomy thing appears to have been little more than a flirtatious fad.

Instead, looking at this year's batch of star newbies, I'm spotting themes like communal dining (OddFellows), raw food (Rawlicious) and serious devotion to the art of cured meats (The Black Hoof).

Here's a rundown of the top 12 with honorable mentions to Mildred's Temple Kitchen, Sidecar, Spice Route and Madeline's which just missed the cut.

Also: See our list of The Best New Cheap Eats of 2008.