Author: openjargon

• Nvidia is on the cusp of being charged by French regulators.
• The chipmaker is set to face antitrust charges, Reuters reported, citing sources.
• Among regulators' concerns is CUDA, the software that makes Nvidia's hardware tick.

Nvidia has had a blistering ride in its journey to become a $3 trillion heavyweight in the AI industry. Now, authorities want to know if it has got there fairly.

French regulators are set to charge the Silicon Valley chip giant over concerns that it has engaged in anti-competitive behavior, a Reuters report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

It follows developments last month involving the US Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission that could see Nvidia and other AI industry giants, like Microsoft, face tough questions over how they use their market power.

A Nvidia spokesperson declined to comment to BI.

Nvidia has emerged as a dominant force in the generative AI boom as companies including OpenAI, Google, and Meta have all bowed before its billionaire CEO Jensen Huang to secure access to the chips — known as GPUs — that the company specializes in.

Demand has been driven by these GPUs' role in training hyped AI models. In May, Nvidia gave its latest indication of just how relentless demand has been after it revealed a 262% year-on-year jump in first-quarter revenue to $26 billion.

The company's dominance was further cemented last month after it briefly surpassed Microsoft to become the world's most valuable company, with a market capitalization of around $3.34 trillion.

But while Nvidia's hardware has attracted attention, regulators also seem keen to highlight the software part of its business: CUDA.

In its first opinion on the "competitive functioning" of the generative AI sector, published on Friday following the launch of an inquiry in February, France's competition regulator raised concerns over "the sector's dependence on Nvidia's CUDA" software.

What is CUDA?

CUDA, which stands for "compute unified device architecture," is a computing platform that Nvidia unveiled in 2006.

At the time, Nvidia's GPUs had been built to cater to the then-niche gaming market. They boasted an ability to process the graphics of games better than chips from rivals, thanks to a neat trick they performed called parallel computing.

But Nvidia was ready to expand the use of its GPUs to handle other kinds of computing tasks. That's where CUDA would come in. Nvidia wanted to create a software package that could allow its GPUs to handle a whole range of computing tasks.

It succeeded. CUDA's advantage today is that it effectively works as a plug-and-play system. No matter how varied or complex the workload of an AI company, CUDA operates in a way that makes Nvidia's GPUs useful to all companies working on AI projects. How has it managed this?

What makes Nvidia tick

After Nvidia's GTC conference in March, dubbed the "Woodstock of AI" by analysts, James Wang, general partner at Creative Ventures, a VC firm, wrote a blog explaining how Nvidia's reveal of new GPUs was less important to its success than CUDA.

He has a few explanations for this.

For one, CUDA is adaptable. The software "continues to be forward and backward-compatible," even when new GPUs come out, Wang wrote in a Substack blog.

Wang also noted it also has a bunch of "super pleasant tools," which are supported by a dedicated community of CUDA developers. Simply, these tools are designed and updated to make life easy for companies looking to use Nvidia's chips.

"The reasons for Nvidia's dominance are years and billions of dollars in investment in the CUDA ecosystem, evangelism, and education of the community that builds AI," Wang wrote.

While Huang has gained credit within Silicon Valley for building such a powerful software system that has given Nvidia a competitive moat, others have tried to build rival offerings.

For instance, Nvidia's chip rival AMD, led by Huang's cousin Lisa Su, operates a CUDA alternative called ROCm. It was, however, released in 2016, 10 years after CUDA, and has not gained a similar kind of traction.

For regulators now, the question is whether Nvidia has achieved its dominance by unfairly locking companies using its GPUs into CUDA.

As French regulators noted in their opinion on Friday, the software is "the only one that is 100% compatible with the GPUs that have become essential for accelerated computing."

• I've been a restaurant critic for 15 years, and I like using my air fryer when I eat at home. 
• I love to air-fry everything from Japanese katsu to Brazilian-style chicken thighs.
• The air fryer is great for crisping up frozen foods, from Malaysian roti to Korean corn dogs.

I've worked as a food writer, editor, and critic since 2008, so I'm usually too busy eating at restaurants to do much cooking at home. 

But when I'm not dining out, my combination air fryer and pressure cooker is the busiest appliance in my kitchen. It excels at reheating all kinds of restaurant leftovers, but also making food from scratch.

These are my favorite foods to cook (or reheat) in my air fryer.

Malaysian roti is fantastically flaky.

One of the best things about living in Northern Virginia is the profusion of excellent Asian supermarkets. My favorite of these is the Lotte Plaza chain.

Ever since I moved to the area three years ago, I've been filling my air fryer with frozen Malaysian-style roti or paratha. With oily laminated layers, it's like a flatbread version of a croissant that plays well with everything from curries to ice-cream sundaes.

I spray it lightly with avocado oil and air-fry it for seven to 10 minutes.

An air fryer is one of the best ways to revive pizza.

My husband and I make pizza in our Ooni Karu 16 about once a week. When we have time to reheat leftovers in the pizza oven, we do, but almost as often, we throw slices in the air fryer at the highest heat for about five minutes apiece. 

The circulating air is perfect for crisping up the crust and re-melting the cheese. 

My air fryer helps me make delicious katsu.

One of my very favorite dishes on the planet is katsu kare, or fried pork cutlets with Japanese curry. The dish has long been a staple in my house, and when I bought an air fryer, it was the first thing I made.

I dredge my pork chops (or pounded chicken breasts) in flour, then egg wash, and finish them in a layer of panko. I spray them with oil on both sides, then air-fry for about 10 minutes on each side at 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can finish there and add tonkatsu sauce, but I use a prepared roux to make curry sauce. Serve with rice, sauce, and pickled ginger for a comforting Western-style Japanese (yoshoku) meal.

Chicken thighs are so dreamy in the air fryer.

As a child, I had waking nightmares about bouncy, connective tissue-riddled chicken thighs. In my early 20s, I became acquainted with Brazilian rodizio and discovered that there are few things better than a rock-salt-rubbed, properly crisped version.

I don't have a rotisserie like many restaurants who prepare it do, but I've learned how to make a version I think is almost as good in my air fryer.

All I have to do is season my bone-in, skin-on thighs, then cook for 20 minutes at a low heat (my air fryer only goes down to 300 F). I finish them with another 20 minutes at my highest heat, which results in a crispy armor of skin. 

Sweet-potato tots are so easy to air-fry.

When I feel like a little bit of lower-glycemic-index carb action in a casual meal at home, I grab my favorite sweet-potato tots from the freezer.

In the air fryer, they become far crispier than they would in the oven, and are ready in a fraction of the time. I don't even use oil — I just throw them in the basket for 13 minutes, then enjoy the piping-hot little bites.

Skin-on pork belly is an occasional indulgence.

I used to braise or pressure cook my pork belly before air-frying it, but I recently realized that using varying temperatures to cook it slowly at first works just as well. 

After seasoning the belly with five spice and salt, I wrap it in foil, leaving the skin to crisp up. I initially cook it for 30 minutes at 300 F then switch to 400 F for another 40.

I think the result can almost compete with dishes from my favorite Chinese barbecue spots.

Korean corn dogs crisp up like a dream in the air fryer.

I'm lucky because I have a sister-in-law originally from Korea who's skilled at making this fun fusion dish. She keeps my freezer stocked with these sweet-and-savory treats, which are half mozzarella stick and half sugary corn dog. 

My favorite version of this popular Korean street food is rolled in tiny cubes of potatoes. When reheated in the air fryer at 375 F for 15 minutes, each potato has a puffy crunch that makes biting in a textural delight.

You only need one appliance for toasted sandwiches.

For years, I relied on a George Foreman grill to act as a panini press. The mists of time have clouded what happened to that long-ago appliance, but my crispy-sandwich game has been strengthened with my air fryer.

I make the cheese-filled sandwich of my choice (ideally using some of my leftover brisket), then spray both sides with oil and air-fry for 10 minutes at 350 F. Sometimes, I skip the oil spray and spread mayonnaise or butter on the outside instead.

Chicken tenders come out well in the air fryer – and my favorites don't even include real chicken.

Yes, even restaurant critics crave kid-friendly food sometimes. My favorite tenders are a vegan version from Gardein that are close enough to the real thing to have something like muscle fiber but far enough away from it to make me feel a little bit virtuous.

Once again, I forgo oil and just crisp them up dry, then serve them with salad and Georgian tkemali (plum sauce) for dipping.

Broccoli is better in the air fryer.

I could include any number of vegetables on this list, but broccoli is my go-to. I either toss the cut stalks in oil or spray them with a bit of it before air-frying for between five and 10 minutes.

In the end, the vegetables are pleasantly al dente in the middle with caramelized, crunchy edges. Sometimes, I toss them with balsamic vinegar when they're done — other times, I just dust them with Tajín.

This story was originally published on July 6, 2023, and most recently updated on July 2, 2024.

• A consulting firm that recruits engineers provides detailed feedback to job applicants it rejects.
• Applicants receive information on how many people applied and what made résumés stand out.
• Forward founder Peter Berg said the aim is to improve the applicant experience in a challenging job market.

The job-hunting process can be brutal — applicants are told to tailor each résumé and often end up with radio silence from the dozens of companies they spend hours applying to.

Peter Berg, founder of Forward, a consulting firm that hires globally remote engineers for startups, wants to change that. About a month ago, Berg announced that Forward would provide data and context to every applicant once a role is closed.

The company now shares details like how many people applied and interviewed, what made résumés stand out, and any numerical data it collected from the application.

Berg told Business Insider that Forward does its best not to waste people's time during the application or interview process through lengthy exams or assignments. As a company that frequently recruits candidates for short-term roles, he said it's important for the experience to be positive and to keep in touch with applicants.

"What's good for candidates is ultimately good for you," Berg wrote in a post on LinkedIn. "Here's to a better tomorrow."

The cofounder said he decided to implement this new protocol because the company started posting roles on LinkedIn and saw a major uptick in volume of applications received. Each role now receives between 200 and 2,000 applications and the company usually sends two vetted candidates to the employers within a week of the original post.

While sending 2,000 rejection letters with detailed feedback sounds time-consuming, Berg said it's not. The company already keeps track of applicant data while scoring résumés and the email takes 10 or 15 minutes to write and is sent in bulk to applicants.

Berg told BI it's an easy addition for employers and he thinks it could make a "huge" difference for applicants — and for some, it already has.

Since implementing this new method, Berg said the company has received about 200 responses from applicants, with many writing back paragraphs about how positive the experience was and how it made them feel human.

One woman posted on LinkedIn about the experience and said Forward offered her the "BEST" rejection letter. The applicant, Melissa Bashur, said the rejection email included the number of applicants, the number of applicants with specific industry experience, top locations of applications, and median hourly rate.

She also said it provided context about what the company was looking for, how their criteria shifted, and how many people they spoke with. Bashur said they even summarized the experience of the person they hired.

Melissa Bashur told BI that the insight she received allowed her to better understand the current job market. It also helped inform her about which jobs she should apply to moving forward.

"I heard it was getting 'better,' but in the tech space, it still seems to be pretty flooded with available talent," Bashur said. "It helped me shift to more positive and productive efforts and be more selective with the jobs I apply to."

Berg said the new protocol helps give people a sense of what's going on in a job market that's tough right now. He said the tech industry is still reeling from pandemic-era overhiring and decreased venture capital funding.

"We know a lot of senior leaders looking for roles and they're having a really hard time finding one. They're looking for nine months, 10 months," the founder said.

He also said individual contributors who don't have experience with hiring tend to be more in the dark about the process.

"We want to provide feedback for that reason," Berg said. "Just to help people figure out why didn't I get picked for this."

• Three former Outback Steakhouse employees shared their favorite and least-favorite menu items.
• The chocolate-based desserts and the restaurant's wings are apparently top-notch.
• But a few of the appetizers and steak plates aren't always as enjoyable.

Outback Steakhouse is an American chain of Australian-themed restaurants that serve items such as surf-and-turf dishes, alcoholic drinks, and desserts.

Business Insider spoke with Eric Bush, who worked at an Outback Steakhouse in Texas, and Michaela Mutell and Audria Lee, who both worked at an Outback Steakhouse in New York. 

Here are some of their picks for the best and worst things on the menu.

One former employee said some steak dishes stood above the rest

"I don't think I ever ate a steak at Outback without the roasted-garlic-butter topping," Mutell, who worked as a server for four years, said. "Once you try it, you will never eat a steak there without it again."

The former employee also said the "king of steak" at Outback is the bone-in rib eye.

"I don't think I ever had a customer send one back for being too tough, too marbled, or being unsatisfied with it," she told BI.

She also recommended ordering the garlic topping, which costs $3, on the chain's mashed potatoes.

The Kookaburra Wings are a big hit at the restaurant

The wings are a signature "Aussie-tizer," or appetizer, that comes in mild, medium, or hot spice blends. 

"The wings are unlike any other wing I've had," Lee, who worked as a host and then as a server, told BI. "That isn't to say they are the best wings I've ever eaten, but they are the most unique, and they are delicious."

The former employee said she particularly likes how the wings have "a lighter fry and a butter-based sauce."

Mutell agreed, telling BI, "Surprisingly, Outback has some of the best wings I've ever had in my life."

She recommended dipping them in Outback's spicy-ranch dressing — though she's typically a fan of blue cheese.

You don't want to miss the chain's bread service

Mutell said the restaurant outdid itself with its honey-wheat bread.

The complimentary starter is served alongside whipped butter. 

The restaurant's side dishes were always a solid choice for customers

Outback's sweet potato topped with honey butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar always impressed Montell.

Lee is also a fan of the chain's side dishes.

"The loaded mashed potatoes are literally everything I've ever wanted from a baked potato," she said. "How can you not love having chives, cheese, and bacon piled on top of a mound of mashed potatoes?"

The former server highlighted the pecan-blue-cheese salad with a blue-cheese vinaigrette and cinnamon pecans as another great choice. 

"I've never had another salad like it — it's sweet, salty, and amazing," Lee told BI. 

Outback's rich, chocolaty desserts are worth it

Lee said the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under, a pecan brownie topped with vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce, chocolate shavings, and whipped cream, was never a bad option. She also appreciates that it's naturally gluten-free.

Bush, who worked as a prep and fry cook, said he prefers an upgrade of the classic chocolate treat.

"The best dessert to order from the menu was Thunder and Lightning because it featured chocolate, strawberries, and more chocolate," she told BI. 

It's a mashup of the Chocolate Thunder from Down Under with butter cake and fresh strawberries. According to a representative from Outback, even if the Thunder and Lighting isn't on the main menu, people should still be able to order it on request.

Mutell also said the restaurant's salted-caramel cookie skillet left her dreaming of the divine

There's one dessert that Mutell always goes back to — the salted-caramel cookie skillet. 

"If you are in luck, it will arrive to you warm and chewy, with bits of pretzel and toffee, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with some caramel," she told BI. "It truly tastes like angels are dancing on your tastebuds."

On the other hand, Outback's famous Bloomin' Onion was pretty difficult to make

"I didn't like the Bloomin' Onion because we have to take a whole onion, cover it flour, submerge it in soda batter, put more flour on it, and finally put it into the deep fryer and hope that it will come out intact," Bush said.

He explained that sometimes it would fall apart or come out burned. 

"Most of the customers ordered these three to five times during a shift," he told BI. "On the weekend we're pushing about 10 at a time."

Lee said she wasn't sure the Sydney Shrooms were worth it

Lee wasn't a fan of the marinated and deep-fried Sydney Shrooms

"The problem was that they were served in a dish way too large, so it seemed like you were paying $15 for three mushrooms."

A representative from Outback told BI that menu prices can vary depending on the location, which may have been the case in Lee's experience in New York. The dish is typically $9.

Lee said the prime rib was every server's nightmare

"Prime rib is such a specific kind of meat that should only be eaten by people who know what it is," Lee said. "Our prime rib was slow-roasted, which meant it never touched a grill. When you slice into a piece of steak that hasn't been seared, it looks raw even when it's cooked medium-well."

She told BI that most of the time, people sent it back to the kitchen. 

"It was a nightmare as a server and worse as a guest because getting a piece of meat that looks like raw meat sets a bad bad tone for the rest of the meal," Lee said.

The representative from Outback said guests who prefer a more "traditional" steak can order the Outback-style prime rib that's seared after being slow-roasted. 

The Toowoomba topping for the steak never looked great to Mutell

The $5 Toowoomba topping features seasoned shrimp, mushrooms, and a creamy creole sauce.

"I have seen the orange tone of the sauce range from traffic-cone orange to the color of a saltine cracker," Mutell said.

The Outback representative told BI that color variance is "rare," but it could be due to the fact that each location makes the sauce in-house from scratch.

This story was originally published in July 2023 and most recently updated on July 2, 2024. 

• Ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, I tested five popular cookout foods in a slow cooker.
• I thought the Buffalo wings I made in a slow cooker were among the best I've ever had.
• I also enjoyed Martha Stewart's recipe for pulled-pork sandwiches.

When planning a summer cookout, a Crock-Pot or slow cooker is a great tool to make prepping easier.

Fourth of July weekend is one of the most popular times for Americans to host cookouts. WalletHub and the National Retail Federation reported that US households will spend $9.4 billion on food alone for Fourth of July cookouts and celebrations this year, and roughly two-thirds of Americans will attend a Fourth of July picnic. 

Ahead of the Fourth of July, I tried making five different dishes that I would typically make for a cookout, but this time I made them in my slow cooker. I loved the ease of using the slow cooker and also thought it would be an ideal way to transport hot dishes to a party.

From Buffalo-chicken dip to wings and pulled pork, all of the recipes turned out perfectly — no stove required.

The first recipe I made was potato salad, something I make for every cookout.

I started by chopping up about a pound of baby potatoes and placed them in my slow cooker.

The recipe by Eating Well called for fingerling potatoes. My local grocery store didn't have fingerling potatoes, so I substituted them for baby gold potatoes.

I made the dressing by mixing whole-grain mustard and all-purpose flour.

The dressing comes together when you add it to the same pan you use to cook bacon and add in the vinegar. I whisked the dressing until all of the ingredients had combined.

I added the dressing, a chopped sweet onion, and three chopped celery stalks to the potatoes along with the mustard dressing.

After the potatoes and vegetables had cooked for five hours, I crumbled three strips of bacon on top and served it with dill.

While I definitely enjoyed the finished potato salad, I wasn't sure if it was worth the long cooking time.

It usually only takes me 45 minutes tops to make a standard potato salad with mayonnaise and celery.

Between chopping the veggies, mixing the dressing, and boiling the potatoes in the slow cooker, this method took much longer. However, I really enjoyed this lighter, mayonnaise-free potato salad, and I liked the flavor of the mustard and crispy bacon.

The next cookout food I made was Martha Stewart's decadent three-cheese slow-cooker mac and cheese.

The recipe, which is in "Martha Stewart's Slow Cooker," calls for three cups of white sharp cheddar cheese and one cup of Gruyere in the macaroni-and-cheese mixture. The third and final cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano, is later added to the breadcrumb mixture.

As well as the three kinds of cheese, the recipe calls for milk, yellow onion, and two cans of evaporated milk. The ingredients came together to make the most decadent, creamy, and delicious mac and cheese I've ever had.

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you don't have to sit around waiting for the macaroni to boil.

Instead, you simply throw it in with the other ingredients and it cooks in the slow cooker. The mac and cheese only took an hour and a half on high to finish cooking — in addition to being delicious, it was much quicker than some other slow-cooker recipes I've tried.

The cheese packed this dish full of flavor, especially the smoked Gruyere, while the onions made it even more delicious.

This was by far the most flavorful mac and cheese I've ever had, and I thought it was very easy to make in the slow cooker.

My only complaint was that the bottom layer of macaroni and cheese could have been creamier — it was a little watery compared to the top layers.

However, it probably would have cooked through more evenly with a little longer in the slow cooker.

I also made slow-cooked pulled-pork sandwiches.

The recipe by Martha Stewart calls for a halved, two-and-a-quarter pound boneless pork shoulder onion, oregano, bay leaves, chipotle, adobo sauce, crushed tomatoes, whole tomatoes in puree, salt, and pepper. 

This isn't your typical barbecue pulled pork, but I was excited to see how it would turn out.

After cooking the meat on high for six hours, as the recipe told me to do, it still wasn't as fork-tender as I wanted.

I was able to break one piece of the meat apart with a fork, but the other was still a little tough. I would have liked to let the meat cook for another hour or two, but since it was already past dinnertime, I decided to just break it apart the best I could. 

If you wanted to make this for yourself, definitely wait until the meat is super tender before eating it.

The recipe recommends serving the pulled pork in a sandwich with coleslaw and pickles.

I made my own homemade coleslaw and served it on a white potato roll. The finished product was delicious, but I was craving a little barbecue sauce to make it even better.

I wasn't able to pull apart all of the meat easily, but the pieces that I did manage to tear off were tender and flavorful. The coleslaw and pickles also added freshness and crunch.

The next slow-cooker appetizer I made was a personal favorite for summer cookouts: Buffalo chicken wings.

While I had heard you could make Buffalo wings in a slow cooker, I was admittedly skeptical. I just couldn't see how they would turn out saucy or crispy enough. However, this recipe by Spend With Pennies called for putting the wings under my oven's broiler at the end, which intrigued me. 

I started by mixing Buffalo sauce, minced garlic, chopped yellow onion, and brown sugar. 

Then I added my chicken wings to the slow cooker and poured the sauce on top.

When you buy your chicken wings, make sure the drumsticks and flats are separated and ready to add to your slow cooker. I had to spend about 20 minutes trimming and separating my chicken wings, which took up extra time and energy since I had never done it before. 

The Buffalo wings cooked in the slow cooker for three hours on low.

After they were fully cooked, I removed them from the slow cooker and placed them on a sheet pan covered with foil. I then brushed a generous amount of the extra Buffalo sauce over the wings and put them under the broiler for about three minutes on each side until they were crispy and slightly blackened.

Once the wings were done, I served them with some blue-cheese dressing.

I was surprised at how easy these wings were to make. I loved how the slow cooker kept the meat tender and a quick finish in the oven gave them the crispy coating I crave.

The wings were some of the best Buffalo wings I've ever had.

They were perfectly crispy and flavorful on the outside, while the meat inside was beyond juicy and moist. They were honestly perfect — not too spicy and the texture was out of this world. I would definitely make these time and time again.

The last slow-cooker cookout food I made was Buffalo-chicken dip.

The base for the Buffalo-chicken dip calls for crumbled blue cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch dressing. I combined those ingredients in a medium-sized bowl before spreading the mixture in a single layer in the bottom of my slow cooker.

I then added a layer of shredded chicken to the slow cooker.

You can use rotisserie chicken or simply boil up some chicken breasts and shred them yourself with a fork, like I did.

Next, I poured Buffalo wing sauce over the chicken-and-dip mixture and added a layer of shredded American cheese.

I could already tell this dip was going to be delicious.

After cooking on low for three hours, the dip was hot and bubbling in the slow cooker.

I set the slow cooker to warm and began prepping my toppings. I added another layer of American cheese and put the lid on the slow cooker to allow the cheese to melt. Then, I chopped up one green onion and added it to the top.

The dip was perfectly creamy, spicy, and cheesy — another successful slow-cooker recipe that's perfect for a cookout.

The layers of the dip were perfectly proportioned. With each bite, I got a delicious mouthful of cheese, hot sauce, and chicken. This recipe by Taste of Home really impressed me, and I would definitely make it again.

• After dining at over 100 restaurants in Chicago, I've narrowed it down to my 11 favorites.
• My top picks are a mix of Italian, Mexican, Indian, Greek, and other cuisines.
• Two are Michelin-starred restaurants, but I'm also a big fan of two hole-in-the-wall eateries.

I don't cook, but I love eating out — so much so that I've tried over 100 restaurants in Chicago.

Some of the best restaurants in the city aren't ones I expected to fall in love with, and others are world-renowned.

Regardless, inflation has sent menu prices soaring over the last few years, so I'm not trying to waste money on a subpar dining experience. And you shouldn't either.

Here are 11 restaurants in Chicago I think you should visit if you're looking for an incredible meal.

Andros Taverna

A few years ago, I spent an epic summer island-hopping and eating my way through the beautiful Greek Islands. Since then, I've searched far and wide for anything comparable to the fresh meals of the Cyclades.

That is until Andros Taverna opened in Logan Square in 2021.

The restaurant pays homage to chef Doug Psaltis' linage with traditional Greek fare. His wife, acclaimed pastry chef Hsing Chen, masters the desserts on the menu (don't sleep on the baklava frozen yogurt).

Everything on the menu tastes fresh and transports diners straight to the Mediterranean.

Esmé

When I first walked into Esmé in Lincoln Park, I immediately felt like I was in an art gallery. The space is home to pieces and sculptures by rotating artists.

The whole place has character, and every dish is a true piece of art. The food's immaculate plating is also typically done in collaboration with the featured artists.

The experience begins with small bites at a standing table before moving to a spot in the dining room for a 16-course tasting. When I visited, one course gracefully descended from a moving fixture on the ceiling, and I painted a colorful placemat in between courses.

Esmé is certainly worthy of its Michelin star.

Indienne

I'm picky about Indian cuisine because it's my favorite. Although I was skeptical about a fine-dining Indian restaurant with a tasting menu, I was completely blown away by Indienne's flavors.

The menu at the Michelin-starred establishment in River North has a French flair — and don't even get me started about the beautiful presentation of dishes.

Although there's an à la carte menu, the six-course tasting menu is a steal compared to others in the city at $125 a person.

Duck Sel

Duck Sel is by far one of the most unique dining experiences I've ever had. After making a reservation, I was sent a code and an address because the dinner was hosted by Michelin-starred chef Donald Young at an undisclosed location in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood.

I wasn't sure what to expect. I entered a spacious apartment where a team was hard at work in an open kitchen. Rubber ducky memorabilia adorned the rooms, and I'll never forget the life-size inflatable inside the shower.

We dined at a communal table, and the entire experience was casual, fun, and whimsical. There were even games that were meant to serve as icebreakers for guests.

Duck Sel's incredible 15-course tasting menu was full of memorable, immersive experiences.

Sushi by Scratch

Sushi by Scratch was another "underground" and unique experience, but this one is also available in several other US cities.

Before my reservation time, I was emailed a location and a code.

I showed up at The Drop In bar and followed the directions of walking a few steps then turning to the right. But I totally passed the door and ended up thinking I needed to climb a ladder.

I backtracked and found the secret door, punched in the code, and walked down a set of steps before I was greeted and escorted to a super intimate room for a predinner cocktail.

After sipping on the libation, the group of 10 (there are only 10 diners per seating) was whisked even further down the stairs to a sushi counter where we began our 17-course omakase tasting.

Three sushi chefs were working in the space to calculatedly serve the incredibly fresh fish.

Café Tola

I crave Café Tola's empanadas at all times of the day, and I don't care if I just had them the day before — they're that good.

The casual chain has a few locations around Chicago and even recently expanded to New York City.

It serves a variety of fresh empanadas, from chicken tinga to chorizo with egg. Some of my favorites include spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella for lunch and guava and cheese for dessert.

The empanadas are absolutely stuffed with ingredients, always warm, and come with drool-worthy sauces.

Divan

Divan is a really cool supper club with nightly live jazz. The brick-wall interior and huge skylight make the place feel so lively.

The restaurant, located near the Mag Mile shopping area, even offers several special experiences from sommelier-led wine tastings in the cellar to Champagne service in the lounge. But all that is just supplementary to the incredible dishes in the main dining room.

Although the place is known for its chops, I can't help but be obsessed with its pasta, seafood, and veggie dishes. It's nothing like the heavily buttered steak houses we've all been to, the dishes here are refreshing and not uncomfortably heavy.

Divan will also serve caviar on literally anything, so that's a win in my book.

Tacombi

Chicago has a lot of Mexican restaurants to choose from, but Tacombi hits the spot every single time. It serves some of the best tacos, quesadillas, esquites, guacamole, and margaritas in the city.

Even though the spot isn't native to the city, it's absolutely worth including on the list.

The chain started serving food out of a "combi" bus (VW van) in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, in the 1960s, which is where it gets its name (taco plus combi equals Tacombi).

It later expanded to food trucks and brick-and-mortar establishments in cities across the US. I'm a fan of the location in Chicago's West Loop, which is housed in a garage and has a colorful painting of the menu on the wall.

Terra e Mare

Terra e Mare translates to land and sea in Italian, and the restaurant showcases just that on its menu.

The modern Italian restaurant located in The Loop is casual with a simple interior, but the food is memorable. The pasta is always perfectly al dente, and there are unique combos I've never seen anywhere else.

One dish I still dream about to this day is a burnt-flour pasta with oyster mushrooms, egg-yolk jam, and frisée.

The sourdough pizzas are also made from scratch — even the mozzarella is pulled and made in-house. I personally like the restaurant's thin-crust pies more than the classic Chicago deep dish.

Mogadishu

Mogadishu on the Near North Side offers Chicagoans a taste of Somalian food.

The restaurant is small and casual, but you can expect to eat off colorful plates and be provided with unlimited sauces.

Whether dining in or ordering for delivery, the portions are incredibly generous. I recommend the spaghetti with veggies, grilled salmon with Somali rice, and chapati flatbread.

Rose Mary

It's not every day that I come across a Croatian restaurant, and Rose Mary is not one to overlook.

Some may recognize Rose Mary's chef and owner, Joe Flamm, from season 15 of "Top Chef." He took home the win, and it shows in his food.

The Croatian, Italian, and Midwestern fusion restaurant in the West Loop is an homage to Flamm's heritage, and the name pays tribute to Flamm's two grandmothers, Mary and Mary Rose.

The menu ranges from pasta and risotto to meats, fish, and fresh veggies. The CRIN risotto — a blend of squid ink, lobster brodo, confit squid, and tarragon — is a staple dish.

This story was originally published on May 20, 2024, and most recently updated on July 2, 2024.

• Tesla sales were down nearly 5% in the second quarter.
• The performance wasn't as bad as analysts expected.
• Tesla's stock price rose in early trading following the news.

Tesla's deliveries fell for a second straight quarter, down nearly 5% compared to the same period a year ago.

Tesla reported second-quarter sales of 443,956 units Tuesday morning, down from 466,140 in the same quarter a year ago but topping analyst expectations.

While the decline in sales is yet another sign that an industry-wide EV slowdown is finally affecting Elon Musk's Tesla, Tuesday's deliveries were not as bad as some analysts had expected.

Analysts polled by Bloomberg had expected Tesla to deliver 439,302 cars in the second quarter, a roughly 6% decline compared to last year.

Tesla's stock opened up about 5% Tuesday following the news.

• Bill Gates' former assistant is now wealthier than his old boss for the first time.
• Steve Ballmer, who succeeded Gates as Microsoft CEO, is worth an estimated $157 billion.
• Microsoft stock has surged amid a broader AI boom, boosting Ballmer's net worth.

A former assistant to Bill Gates has scaled the ranks of the world's wealthiest people to become richer than his old boss for the first time.

Steve Ballmer's fortune more than doubled from $77 billion in November 2022 to $157.2 billion at Monday's close, putting him sixth on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Gates, Microsoft's legendary cofounder and perhaps the world's best-known philanthropist, is in seventh place and worth $156.7 billion. He was $17 billion richer than Ballmer a year ago.

Ballmer is now about $5 billion behind Alphabet cofounder Larry Page, who is in fifth place on Bloomberg's rich list at ($162 billion).

The Los Angeles Clippers basketball team owner, Ballmer ranks above the likes of Oracle's Larry Ellison ($156 billion), Alphabet's Sergey Brin ($153 billion), Warren Buffett ($128 billion), Michael Dell ($116 billion), and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang ($109 billion).

Ballmer owes his wealth to joining Microsoft in 1980 as an assistant to the president — a role more akin to a business manager than a PA. He originally agreed a $50,000 base salary plus 10% of the profit growth he generated. But Ballmer's compensation soon became outsized, so he agreed to exchange it for a significant equity stake, according to Forbes.

A close advisor to Gates, he succeeded him as CEO in 2000. Ballmer stepped down in 2014 with 333 million shares, or a 4% stake, regulatory filings show.

Bloomberg's estimate of Ballmer's wealth assumes that he's retained most of his Microsoft shares. The outlet values his stake at more than $150 billion based on Monday's $457 closing price — over nine times its split-adjusted level in 2014 when Ballmer left. He's likely to have collected dividends worth billions of dollars over the years as well.

Ballmer's net worth has skyrocketed over the past 18 months or so because of the artificial-intelligence boom, which Microsoft has tapped into by investing in industry star OpenAI. The stock has jumped by over a third in the past year alone.

Gates has fallen behind Ballmer because he's diversified his personal investment portfolio away from Microsoft stock, and made large donations to his foundation and other charities.

Even so, it's striking that Ballmer is officially richer than Gates, given how rare it is for an employee to become wealthier than his company's founder.

• North Korea and South Korea are in an intensifying arms race. 
• North Korea has launched a series of missile tests. 
• Russia's new alliance with North Korea could worsen the situation. 

North Korea on Monday claimed it had tested a new weapon capable of far greater destruction than the ballistic missiles in its arsenal.

The Hwasong-11Da-4.5, which has a 4.5-ton warhead, follows South Korea's development of multi-ton warhead ballistic missiles, designed as "bunker busters" that can take out North Korean nuclear bases, amid an intensifying arms race on the peninsula.

The South Korean military called the announcement a "deception," claiming North Korea had botched a test in which a missile crashed near Pyongyang.

The situation could get more dangerous in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin's new security alliance with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The UN seeks to contain North Korean aggression

For decades, the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, has sought to restrict North Korea's nuclear weapons program, cutting off access to key technology and the global economy.

Russia appeared wary of the potential threat North Korea posed on its eastern border and worked with countries, including the US, to isolate Kim — but the Ukraine war has changed that.

Desperate for new supplies of ammunition and artillery for his army, Putin has found a willing new supplier in North Korea.

According to reports, North Korea has supplied Russia with up to 3 million shells for its campaign in Ukraine, along with ballistic missiles used to target Ukrainian cities.

In turn, Russia is helping North Korea break its diplomatic, economic, and military isolation.

It has increased food and fuel exports to North Korea and vetoed the renewal of a UN panel that monitors the sanctions against the country.

The Kremlin is also suspected of handing North Korea vital satellite technology that the rogue state could use to monitor US allies in the region and, if there were a war, target their military assets more effectively.

So far, Russia seems to have stopped short of providing North Korea with direct military support, though it has pledged to come to its aid if attacked.

But analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies are concerned that Kim could drive a "hard bargain" and demand more high-end nuclear and missile technology.

"North Korea would benefit from fielding a nuclear weapons force that could evade US missile defenses with high-end intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear submarines," they wrote in an article published June 20.

North Korea may have exaggerated how well Monday's test went, but Russia's alliance is definitely enhancing the threat the country poses to the delicate security balance in East Asia.

Improved missile technology could, in theory, enable North Korea to evade US missile defense systems and strike the US mainland, undermining the US's security pledge to South Korea.

If North Korea comes closer to being able to strike the US, it could fuel "skepticism about American nuclear guarantees" and, in turn, "spark a renewed push by South Korea to develop its own nuclear deterrent," wrote analysts from the Wilson Center in April.

South Korea's government has said it could send weapons to Ukraine in response, and Voice of America reported Monday that some South Korean politicians are questioning the effectiveness of America's nuclear deterrent.

Politician Na Kyung Won said last week that deterrence was "currently working" but "does not guarantee the capacity to respond to the future changes in the security environment," the outlet reported.

• This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.
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Hello! My last name might end in a vowel, but I still learned something from this Michelin-starred chef pointing out red flags to look for at nice Italian restaurants. (Although, I take issue with calling it "sauce" instead of "gravy.")

In today's big story, we're looking at President Joe Biden showing no signs of giving up his reelection campaign while former President Donald Trump secured a win from the Supreme Court.

What's on deck:

• Markets: One bank strategist downgrades the red-hot tech sector.
• Tech: OpenAI thinks it has a solution to ChatGPT's coding mistakes.
• Business: There's a problem with new homes in America: They are all ugly.

But first, he's not leaving.

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The big story

Biden won't back down

President Joe Biden knew he'd have to put up a fight this year to keep his seat, but he likely didn't realize it'd come before November's election.

Despite a growing chorus of doubters, the president is digging in his heels over his decision to run for reelection, writes Business Insider's John L. Dorman.

Biden's campaign has been in full-blown crisis mode after the president's disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump last week.

Criticism about Biden's age and ability to serve another four years, previously only whispered about by supporters behind closed doors, was loud and public in the immediate aftermath.

Biden's aides have done their best to defend the president's performance, with one report suggesting the debate was held outside the hours when he's usually at his best. But experts said spinning Biden's struggles as a one-off to voters will ultimately backfire.

Still, the president seems intent on staying put. Despite the increased pressure to drop out, Biden's family has reportedly urged him to stay in the race. If he did give up the nomination, it would only be if he was offered a "dignified way out," according to The New York Times.

Biden bowing out wouldn't alleviate Democrats' problems.

Who would fill in for Biden on the Democrats' 2024 presidential ticket comes with its own issues.

A Biden campaign manager reportedly said if the president steps aside his war chest would mostly go to Vice President Kamala Harris. But in some Democratic circles, the VP isn't being pitched as the best substitute for Biden.

Governors Gavin Newsom and Gretchen Whitmer are among the Democrats who have been floated to fill in for Biden. That chatter has reportedly left Harris' camp frustrated that she isn't considered the obvious pick.

Meanwhile, Trump secured a big win in his immunity case. The Supreme Court ruled that former presidents don't get absolute immunity from criminal charges related to actions under the scope of the presidency, but they do get some.

That decision is set to be pivotal in Trump's January 6-related indictment, with the court making clear some areas of the case can't proceed. The president is also looking to use the ruling to throw out his Manhattan conviction.

But the case could have bigger implications than just Trump. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in a dissenting opinion that the ruling created a "law-free zone around the President" whereby they could order the assassination of a political rival without facing prosecution.

3 things in markets

1. Trump's policies are an "elixir for stagflation," JPMorgan's strategy chief warns. David Kelly sounded the alarm on the potential shocks Trump's trade and immigration policies could have on the economy. Sweeping tariffs and mass deportations could trigger a recession, he said.
2. How a new $1 billion hedge fund is looking to stand out. Former Millennium exec Jonathan Xiong has his work cut out for him with the launch of Arrowpoint. The Asia-based multistrategy fund has big-name backers, like Blackstone and Canada's largest pension, but faces a crowded field where heavyweights like Citadel and Millennium dominate.
3. Truist cools on tech. Keith Lerner, Truist Wealth's chief strategist and co-chief investment officer, downgraded the firm's rating on the tech sector from overweight to neutral. He's still bullish on the space but views valuations as overvalued, seeing value in communication services and utilities instead.

3 things in tech

1. Big Tech gets a big win from the Supreme Court. The court kicked two cases dealing with social media content moderation back down to lower courts. A legal expert explained why the decision is a de facto win for social media companies.
2. Humans need another bot's help to fix ChatGPT's blunders. OpenAI unveiled CriticGPT, a tool designed to help human AI trainers spot errors in code produced by ChatGPT. As the chatbot has grown more sophisticated, its mistakes have become harder for humans to spot.
3. Abnormal Security is set to be valued at $5 billion with new funding round. It's raised $374 million in venture funding, but it's unclear how much it will raise with the new round. The startup, which uses AI to guard users from cyber threats across email and apps, was valued at $4 billion in 2022

3 things in business

1. We just can't stop building these hideous houses. Most people agree America needs more houses, but why are the ones being built so ugly? A mix of soaring development costs, local rules, and changing homeowners' attitudes may be to blame.
2. How much money would you need to feel financially secure? For Gen Z, it's $200,000 a year — more than any other generation. Gen Zers, contending with rising costs, are feeling financially vulnerable. According to a previous BI poll, they're the most stressed generation when it comes to saving money.
3. Kevin Costner's bad real-estate bet. Kevin Costner mortgaged his home to put $38 million of his own money into his latest film venture, the western "Horizon." Box-office numbers suggest this was a terrible idea.

In other news

• 2 managers at the World Economic Forum, which hosts the glitzy Davos conference, said the N-word in front of staff: report.
• How Rak Garg became Bain Capital Ventures' youngest partner at just 27 years old in less than 3 years.
• VidCon 2024 showcased the internet's hottest stars you may never have heard of. Here are 7 top takeaways from the annual creator industry conference.
• Business cards are out. Instead, I use a QR code that directs to my LinkedIn profile when networking.
• Mark Zuckerberg's Meta just got some bad news.
• Ex-Moelis banker arrested on assault charges after viral punching video.
• Hot sector: solar careers are in demand.
• The iPhone 16 is less than 3 months away — here's what to expect.

What's happening today

• Major Hurricane Beryl is forecast to barrel northwest across the Caribbean islands. It's the earliest Category 4 hurricane on record for the Atlantic hurricane season.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Annie Smith, associate producer, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.