All in all, it's been a pretty good year for food in Atlanta. Yes, the closing of EatZi's was a surprise and a bummer, but many positive developments left us in a better place overall. Food shoppers learned to avail themselves of Asian super-duper-markets like Assi and Super H Mart, as well as the store the size of a small town that Whole Foods opened in Duluth. Farmers markets and organic choices popped up everywhere, even in Wal-Mart.

On the dining front, Midtown came into its own as Atlanta's locus for smart restaurants that don't heed the call of the cookie cutter. Consider Lobby, Ecco and Repast — the latter with an eclectic menu featuring both a handmade foie gras hot dog and a macrobiotic plate. (Talk about the lady or the tiger.) It feels like more chefs in this city are leading rather than following.

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But with the year coming to a close, it's time to reflect on what the city still needs:

1. More, better street carts: When I was visiting another city (not one known for its food), I was thrilled to find a street cart serving chicken freshly grilled over a brazier and served with a choice of white or brown rice. Here, we'd be lucky to get a falafel stand. The only time you hear about street carts is when Gwinnett County shuts down taco trailers.

2. A fish market: Something between the vastness of the Asian places and the DeKalb Farmers Market, but more than the tidy cuts at Whole Foods and Publix. How nice it would be to look a fish in its crystal-clear eye and then have someone else fillet it for you.

3. Counter dining: Yeah, it's a trend but a cool one at least. In New York and San Francisco, a gourmet spirit has invaded the dining counter. Think sushi bars, but with chefs preparing hot dishes.

4. BYOBs: Every time I go to visit family in Philadelphia, the talk usually gets around to the latest BYOB of note. Because of the expense of liquor licenses there, the city has fostered a unique class of restaurants where customers bring their own wine. What this means is that ambitious chefs can open small restaurants with a solid business plan that doesn't involve prohibitive start-up costs. It also means that neighborhood restaurants there strive to express individuality, while neighborhood spots here aim more often for a warm atmosphere and solid, familiar cooking.

5. A baker's dozen: Doesn't it feel like we need at least 12 or 13 more independent bakeries? Shouldn't there be a place to buy a loaf of fresh bread or some still-chewy cookies in the heart of Midtown, on Decatur Square or even in North Point Mall?

6. Cocktails: As Elizabeth Lee pointed out in last week's Food & Drink, a few talented barkeeps such as Greg Best at Restaurant Eugene are starting to reorient the cocktail paradigm. But martini bars still rule. More bartenders need to use fresh juices and artisanal spirits, and then that pre-dinner drink will be really worth $12.

7. An izakaya: These Japanese pubs are flourishing in coastal cities as diners cotton to their convivial atmosphere, broad selection of beers and sake, and menu of healthful, uncomplicated Japanese small plates.

8. Meat-and-threes to brag about: Carver's Country Kitchen and the Busy Bee are mostly solid and sometimes great. But what about some more little cafeterias where the vegetables are reliably fresh and the gravies come from long cooking rather than packaged bases?

9. New immigrant voices in the kitchen: I hope some of the Iraqis, Afghans and other recent arrivals who now make Atlanta home get the idea to open restaurants. We have so much to learn about the good food from that part of the world.

10. Food education: So this one is a pipe dream. But it does seem that the best way to encourage kids to eat better is to expose them, however briefly, to gardening and cooking as part of their curriculum.