Restaurant Sales May Hit $660 Billion And More News

The Daily Meal brings you the biggest news from the food world.

What's Causing Food Price to Rise: When comparing food prices between March 2011 and January 2012, the New England Complex Systems Institute argued that financial speculation and ethanol conversion, not supply and demand, explained food prices. [TIME]

'Iron Chef' Helps Japan: While China may have the larger economy, Japan has Iron Chef, which promoters hope will help foster U.S.-Japan relations. [LA Times]

Restaurant Sales May Hit $660 Billion: The National Restaurant Association predicts that the 980,000 restaurants in America will collectively earn more than $660 billion in sales next year. That's a 3.8 percent increase. [Columbian]

Behind Bi-Rite: The San Francisco market (and legendary ice cream shop) is now one of the must-see stops in town. Here's the history, and the philosophy, of the market. [SF Chronicle]