Despite what we now know was a year-long recession, 2008 was a very good year for East Valley diners hungry for new restaurants. From upscale steakhouses to ethnic eateries, the East Valley welcomed more than 50 notable newcomers.

How good was this year’s crop? Several new restaurants that would have vied for one of the top spots on my 2007 list (had they opened last year) couldn’t even crack this year’s top 10.

As I ranked and re-ranked my list over the past few weeks, four different restaurants resided, at least temporarily, in the top spot. I could make the case for any of them to be No. 1. And there are a handful of places that slipped on and off the bottom of the list.

Besides food quality, I considered atmosphere, uniqueness and value. And when the final decisions got really tough, my  criterium was this: What are the places I keep revisiting on my own time and on my own dime?

So, after dining out 254 times this year for the Tribune (plus at least another 100-plus times on my own), these are the new restaurants that impressed me the most:

1. THE MISSION
Having established his French cooking bona fides at acclaimed Zinc Bistro, chef Matt Carter proves he also can dazzle with European-influenced Latin American cuisine. Don’t worry if you don’t know the difference between arepas and pozole. If you like Mexican food, The Mission will open a similar world of wonderful flavors to you. The sliced chicken from the wood-fired grill almost melts into juicy smoke in your mouth, and peanut butter provides a surprisingly pleasing accent to beef short ribs. Desserts also are amazing, especially the pumpkin bread pudding in a butterscotch sauce (they actually get a bottle of Scotch from the bar to make it). The Mission has been flying under the radar since its soft opening in October, but that will change soon. Lunch and dinner daily. 3815 N. Brown Ave., Scottsdale, (480) 636-5005, themissionaz.com.

2. CORK
The Valley’s seeming aversion to the small-plates concept, as well as the southeast Valley’s historical lack of support for fine dining, are just two of the trends this Ocotillo-area restaurant and wine bar has defied since opening in March. Credit chef Brian Peterson’s rotating menu of exotic  treasures — such as Kumamoto oysters, basil-crusted ostrich and smoked antelope — all served in tasting-menu-size portions for dinner (full-size entrees are available for lunch), as well as a huge and excellent wine list. For my money, Cork ranks second only to the Gila River Casinos’ Kai for fine dining in the southeast Valley. Lunch and dinner daily. 4991 S. Alma School Road, Chandler, (480) 883-3773, corkrestaurant.net.

3. DIGESTIF
Part California-Italian eatery and part hipster hangout, Digestif opened in February as the fourth jewel of Peter Kasperski’s Old Town Scottsdale restaurant empire. Like its siblings Cowboy Ciao, Seasaw and Kazmirez Wine Bar, Digestif pairs a casual-chic atmosphere — in this case, a Beatnik-basement décor and indie rock vibe — with a standout menu of housemade pastas and entrees from chef Payton Curry and creative desserts from pastry chef Tracy Dempsey. After dinner, you can imbibe in one of its many namesake liquers, including absinthe painstakingly prepared in an replica Art Deco fountain. Lunch and dinner daily. 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, (480) 425-9463, digestifscottsdale.com.

4. PRADO
While it seemed like every Scottsdale resort was opening a high-priced steakhouse in 2008, the new InterContinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley unveiled Spanish-themed Prado in November. Chef Claudio Urciuoli, who briefly wowed Valley diners with his slow-food mastery at Taggia, devotes a large portion of Prado’s rustic menu to meats and seafood grilled over a wood fire in the Andalusian style, but also visits other regions of Spain (and beyond) for paella, gazpacho, jamon de bellota and crema catalana. If you want to understand why Spanish cuisine is red-hot around the world, Prado will show you. Breakfast lunch and dinner daily. 4949 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, (480) 627-3004, icmontelucia.com.

5. LATITUDE EIGHT
The rich got even richer when tiny downtown Chandler, already enjoying a wealth of independent restaurants, added this affordable Thai gem in May. Start with the stuffed chicken wing appetizer before moving on to a selection of impressive curries, fried rice dishes and seafood entrees. At lunch, you can enjoy a three-course menu, including a drink, for just $11. There’s a reason the wait sometimes can be an hour or longer, even on weeknights. If there’s a better Thai restaurant in the East Valley, I’ve yet to find it. Lunch weekdays, dinner Monday through Saturday. 11 W. Boston St., Chandler, (480) 722-0560, latitude-eight.com.

6. HUMBLE PIE
After opening in January, this cozy pizzeria and wine bar quickly became known for the most sought-after pies in Scottsdale. Using the best farm-fresh produce available in the Valley, Humble Pie’s 14 varieties of 10-inch, wood-fired pizzas range from basics like  margherita or pepperoni to unusual combinations like proscuitto and pear or pistachio and red onion. Thanks in great part to co-owner Tom Kaufman (Rancho Pinot Grill), the wine list is top-notch. A second location just opened at Desert Ridge in Phoenix. Lunch and dinner daily. 6149 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 556-9900, humblepieusa.com.

7. ROKA AKOR
When ultra-trendy London restaurant Roka decided to expand worldwide, its first stop was Scottsdale in February. Prices are steep, but the menu features some of the finest Japanese fare in Arizona. Most action occurs at the robata grill, where marinated meats and seafood — including amazing foot-long Madagascan tiger prawns — are cooked over Japanese charcoal. Other menu must-haves are the  decadent wagyu beef sushi rolls topped with caviar, Korean-spiced lamb cutlets and the rice hot pot with mushrooms. Lunch weekdays and dinner nightly. 7299 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, (480) 306-8800, rokaakor.com.

8. AMARONE
In late 2007, Maurizio Benforte introduced his Italian cuisine to Valley diners at Pizza A Metro, drawing rave reviews despite its dingy Phoenix strip-mall location. Last month, Benforte launched a more upscale  Italian eatery in Scottsdale, where the oval bar alone seats as many people as his Phoenix place. The menu still includes free caponata and his huge brick-oven pizzas, along with an expanded selection of marvelous pastas and entrees. Check out the singer performing Italian ballads Friday and Saturday evenings. Lunch weekdays and dinner nightly. 9011 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale, (480) 391-2222.

9. THE DELI
It only seems appropriate a locavore-friendly, slow-food restaurant open in farm-centric Queen Creek, as The Deli did in June. Hot and cold sandwiches made with local produce, meats and other products are the backbone of owner/chef Blake Mastyk’s menu, but two upscale entrees — like a beef tenderloin filet in a red wine reduction — are offered each night and change weekly. Mastyk’s wife, Nicole, a former sommelier, offers spot-on wine pairings and makes great flavored ice creams. Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. 18914 E. San Tan Blvd., Queen Creek, (480) 279-3546, thedeliqc.com.

10. LIBERTY MARKET
Who better than hometown restaurateur Joe Johnston (Joe’s Real BBQ, Joe’s Farm Grill) to convert downtown Gilbert’s historic grocery store into an updated Americana eatery and retail shop? Open since October, Liberty Market boasts a menu of daily frittatas, huge salads and sandwiches, wood-fired pizzas and simple desserts like Rice Krispie bars. A fully restored 1965 Faema E61 espresso machine yields one of Johnston’s favorite treats: a cortadito, a shot glass of espresso topped with steamed milk. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 230 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert, (480) 892-1900, libertymarket.com.

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