Street food will become more popular in 2010

Street food will be in and high prices will be out in 2010, according to Denver-based trade publication Eat In Eat Out.

The publication, a division of the American Forecaster, looks at business and consumer trends in the food, beverage and dining industries.

Supermarkets will continue to push discounts, and restaurants from quick-service establishments to upscale steak houses will expand use of their bargain menus, Eat In Eat Out predicted.

Meanwhile, street food — sold by vendors from food carts — will be the fastest growth area for new cuisine, driven by both the number of chefs leaving conventional restaurants and the number of consumers looking for interesting, low-priced food.

Eat In Eat Out predicted fast 2010 growth for kombucha (a fermented tea), black garlic, lardo, home cooking, upscale burgers and small domestic distilleries, among others.