July 13 was National French Fry Day, a necessary and important day to reflect on the ubiquitous yet humble golden star of the fast-food world. The perfect fry is starchy and crispy and a sturdy vehicle for our favorite vegetable: ketchup. Their acceptance in American cuisine is far-reaching: The french fry can be a gas-station grab-and-go or a gourmet delight.

Burger King, Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, and Wendy's — the fast-food giants — all offer signature takes on the classic food. McDonald's fries have had the same signature taste for years, while Burger King and Wendy's have changed their recipes in recent times. And Chick-fil-A's distinct waffle variation holds a fierce cult following.

But which has truly mastered the art of the fryolator? We set out to discover who makes the best fries.

Marina Nazario contributed to this story.

SEE ALSO: We tried breakfast from McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, and Wendy's — here's who does it best

Hot, salty, and steaming fresh: McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, and Chick-fil-A are ready to compete.

First, we tried McDonald's. Salty, thin, and crispy, these classic fries have stayed consistent over the years.

A large order of McDonald's fries costs $2.79 in Manhattan. They're crispy on the outside but have an unusually hearty center for how thin they are. Loaded with salt, these fries are absolutely addictive.

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You use it every day. It's your go-to for quick, easily found information, a natural reflex when a question arises. It is search, and it has changed the way we live and interact with the world around us.

Today the average web user can search for pretty much anything and receive thousands of results from myriad sources. But the web wasn't always so easy to use, and search wasn't always the quickest answer.

The tools available to us have radically changed since the first search engine launched almost 30 years ago. For more on the evolution of search — and where it's headed — check out Microsoft Bing's report, The Humanization of Search. Read an excerpt below:

This post is sponsored by Microsoft Bing. 

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Every winter, the small town of Wellington, in southeast Florida, experiences a tremendous influx of some of the wealthiest people in the world.

From the Springsteens to the Bloombergs, to the families of Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, to Arab sheikhs and South American billionaires, it's a congregation of people with spectacular quantities of money.

No, they aren't gathering for some sort of business affair. They're coming for WEF: the Winter Equestrian Festival, which takes place every year from January to April on the hallowed grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The 12-week WEF has been the longest equestrian event of its kind for several years running, and it attracts riders at all levels of the sport.

Because of the costly nature of all things equestrian, it's no surprise that rich people and horses go hand in hand. But while some wealthy riders and owners are just in it for the glamour and prestige, some — like Georgina Bloomberg and Jessica Springsteen — are serious and successful competitors.

As WEF has grown over the years, it has turned Wellington into a winter oasis for the upper crust, who come to ride, mingle, and bask in the warm weather. But while the human amenities are nothing to sneeze at, the real luxuries are reserved for the horses. Here's an inside look at this star-studded fantasy world, where celebrities come to play and their four-legged companions reign supreme.

SEE ALSO: Matt Lauer just picked up this gorgeous $36.5 million estate in the Hamptons from Richard Gere — take a look inside

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Wellington, Florida, is a community of about 60,000 people in southeast Florida, about 15 miles west of West Palm Beach.

Without a doubt, horses rule in Wellington. Here, some elite horses cross the street on special paths.

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Many roads and neighborhoods are equestrian-themed.

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I moved from Missouri to New York City for my summer internship almost two months ago. The city is incredibly different from the Midwest in more ways than one, but navigating the subway system has been one of the greatest learning experiences I've had since my arrival.

I am by no means an expert on riding the subway, but I've picked up some tips during my many commutes throughout the five boroughs, so I've compiled them here. 

If you follow this list, you'll slash your chances of annoying some native New Yorkers by at least half. If I can do it, so can you.

SEE ALSO: Matt Lauer just put this gorgeous Hamptons mansion on the market for $18 million

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Don't hog the ticket machines.

There's nothing more frustrating than waiting behind a group of tourists to refill your Metro card and hear your train pass by. If you're visiting the city, base your Metro card value on how long and how often you plan on commuting in the city.

If your vacation lasts for more than a day and you hope to see all of the main tourist sites via subway, I recommend the 7-day unlimited pass. You can buy it for $31. If you're not ready to commit to that, quickly pick the single ride option. 

Note: Always hold on to your card. It costs an additional dollar to purchase a new one, so don't throw it away after each ride.

Know if you're headed uptown or downtown.

The difference between uptown and downtown is essentially the first thing taught in New York Subway 101.

If you're in Manhattan, you're either headed uptown towards Queens or downtown towards Brooklyn. Figuring out which direction your destination is closer to will assure you board the right side of the track, and will save you a lot of time (and embarrassment).

Use Google Maps to figure out your train route.

There are plenty of subway apps to choose from, but I've found Google Maps to be the easiest to navigate. Odds are you're already using the app to walk around street level. 

Hit the "travel by train" option, and you'll have the recommended trains to take to your destination. There may be a few options to choose from, so opt for whichever station you are closest to. 

Ignore what the menu says — only eight restaurants in the entire US serve real Kobe beef.

While restaurants across the US offer menu items like the Cheesecake Factory's "Kobe burgers" and pricey "Kobe steaks," the vast majority of these claims are false, writes Larry Olmsted, author of "Real Food/Fake Food," in Bon Appétit.

While many restaurants have started using the term "Kobe" to mean any pricey beef, it is in fact a highly-acclaimed type of Wagyu beef raised in a specific region of Japan.

Japanese Wagyu is a type of cattle that produces uniquely ideal meat, because its fat is evenly dispersed and packed with monounsaturated fats that allow the beef to melt in your mouth.

Just 3,000 to 4,000 cattle a year make the cut as Kobe beef after slaughter and inspection — and all are fathered by only 12 bulls, deemed the most genetically ideal. For comparison, Olmsted writes, that's less meat than a single midsize US cattle ranch produces in a year.  

With these figures in mind, it makes sense that the amount of Kobe beef that reaches the US is only enough to satisfy the average beef consumption of 77 Americans.

So, what are you eating when restaurants label something Kobe beef? In a best case scenario, it may be Wagyu, which should cost at least $60 to $80 for a small portion. Often, however, it's just a name that has been adopted as a buzzword — especially if it's in a burger or hot dog.

SEE ALSO: Expert reveals 3 expensive restaurant foods that are often fake

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Lita Lewis is a popular fitness trainer who's built her fame through Instagram, where more than 400,000 people follow her.

She now enjoys a six-figure salary through her sprawling fitness business, but it wasn't easy to get to where she is now.

She once quit her secure corporate America job after a breakup and had to dip into her savings until her business got into good shape.

Lewis tells Business Insider:

"All of a sudden my secure, well-paying gig not only wasn't fulfilling, but it was taking away my time and energy that I wanted to be dedicated to what is now my life purpose: to help others develop the best versions of themselves, especially in times of hardships."

Here's Lewis' story and some of her Instagram photos that made her so popular:

SEE ALSO: An IBM engineer quit to become an Instagram star, and these 29 photos prove that it was a good idea

Before Lewis started her own business, she was part of corporate America, working at an ad agency in New York City.

But her life took a huge turn when she broke up with the person she was hoping to get married to. Heartbroken and devastated, Lewis found herself at rock bottom. She quit her job and started traveling around the world to free up her mind.

Her quality of life dramatically changed, too, from having a solid income to not having any concrete future plan. She had to dip into her savings to make ends meet for the next 18 months.

If you ever felt like the most attractive people always have the greatest career success, you may be on to something.

As it turns out, success, at least in some part, is skin deep.

Of course attractive people aren't always dealt the best cards — just more frequently than the rest of us average joes.

Here's how being attractive influences success:

Drake Baer contributed to reporting in this article.

SEE ALSO: Most people think they're smarter, more attractive, and more virtuous than everyone else — here's what our brains do when someone suggests we aren't

Attractive people tend to get paid more

Because of what social psychologists call "the halo effect" — our tendency to assume someone possesses other positive qualities because the posses one — the better someone looks, the better a person we think they are.

Thanks to this cognitive bias, attractive people tend to be paid a premium.

Daniel Hamermesh, a University of Texas psychologist who studies beauty in the workplace, has found that a person with above-average looks earning $20 an hour over a 40-year career would earn $1.69 million, while a person with below-average looks would pull in $1.46 million.

In one sample of Americans and Canadians, economists found that attractive people make 12% to 14% more money than unattractive people.

And attractive real-estate brokers have been found to bring in more money than their less attractive peers.

Attractive people tend to be more confident

Because of the halo effect, experiments have shown that we consider attractive people "as more sociable, dominant, sexually warm, mentally healthy, intelligent, and socially skilled" than unattractive people.

By the time cute kids become attractive adults, they've benefited from this bias for years, giving them higher levels of confidence.

It's a "self-fulfilling prophecy," say Markus Mobius and Tanya Rosenblat in a University of Michigan paper called "Why Beauty Matters."

Attractive people tend to have better social skills

Mobius and Rosenblat's experiments also found physical attractiveness to raise social and communication skills, which in return raise an employer's estimate of the worker's productivity.

This has a major impact over the course of a career. Research shows that raising kids' social skills is a better predictor of lifetime earnings than raising their intellectual ability.

Having the flexibility to choose when you check-in or check-out of a hotel can make traveling much less stressful. 

That's why Standard Hotels announced its Standard Time in a press release today, allowing guests to choose their check-in and check-out times across all five of its properties in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

Guests will have the option to choose Standard Time from the website's drop-down menu when choosing their room type. The service includes a fee of about 5% of the rate, and guests will be contacted prior to their stay to determine the estimated check-in and check-out times. 

The option might not be able for every room type, and the company recommends booking ahead to ensure you have access to it. 

The option of customizable check-in and check-out times at hotels allows guests to have increased time and a more relaxed stay, which is why hotels like the Ritz-Carlton in Charlotte, North Carolina, properties of Capella Hotels and Resorts, and The Peninsula Beverly Hills offer similar services. 

SEE ALSO: 18 tips that will help you stay safe when you travel

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Light, healthy, and made in endless variations, it's no surprise that sushi is such a popular delicacy. 

The only problem is that sushi can be very expensive, and you can't always tell in advance if your dish will live up to its price tag. 

Luckily, Foursquare is here to help, with a list of 14 sushi restaurants in key US cities where you are guaranteed the best bang for your buck. To narrow down the options, the city-guide app looked at price level via menu analysis, and determined the most expensive Japanese restaurants in each city. Then, they looked at user reviews to get a rating of how satisfied customers were out of a possible 10 points. 

The result is a guide to some of America's finest sushi establishments. If you're ever in the area, these are definitely worth the splurge. 

SEE ALSO: The best steakhouse in every state

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LOS ANGELES: Koi Restaurant

Location:730 North La Cienega Boulevard

Rating: 9.43

People rave about the sushi, the service, and the back patio, where celebrity sightings are commonplace. Although you can't seem to go wrong with any item on the menu, try the "She's So LA" roll that comes topped with gold leaves.

SAN FRANCISCO: Kusakabe

Location: 584 Washington Street

Rating: 9.32

The Omakase meal (where the chefs present a selection of their own choices) is said to be the way to go, as the chefs are creative, friendly, and accommodating. Make reservations well in advance, and sit by the bar to watch the dishes come to life.

WASHINGTON, DC: Sushi Taro

Location:1503 17th Street NW

Rating: 8.62

Praised for high-quality, authentic food and impeccable presentation, Sushi Taro is the place to go for sushi in the nation's capital. Just ask the members of the Japanese Embassy — apparently, they're frequent patrons. If it's good enough for them, it has to be excellent. Customers recommend the fatty tuna rolls and anything tempura.

At your next summer barbecue, don't hesitate to bring out a bottle of wine. 

We spoke with Ryan O'Connell at NakedWines.com and learned why wine is the perfect drink to pair with classic barbecue dishes. 

Overall, O'Connell said the main reason to choose wine is its versatility.

"There's just so much variety in the different kinds of wines you can get in every market in the US," O'Connell said. 

For the summer months, he recommends lighter, tangier, and juicier wines that don't break the bank.

"Don't be intimidated into thinking you have to spend $30 on a bottle of wine for it to be good. You can get really good bottles of barbecue wine for a lot less than that if you know where to look for a deal," O'Connell said. 

And regardless of your wine expertise, O'Connell breaks down his recommendations into this simple idea: "If you drink the wine you like with the food you like and the people you like, and you're bound to have a good time."

Below we determined the ideal wines to pair with your favorite grilled foods. 

SEE ALSO: Your favorite wine to drink this summer might be blue

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Hamburger — a juicy Red (Cabernet)

"Go with something juicier, like a Passo-Cab or something from the central coast, where it's going to be more ample and more fruit forward," O'Connell said.

Hot dog — a crisp White (Savagnin)

O'Connell said that a hot dog's relish and garnishes really make up the flavor profile of the meal. He recommends a crisp white because "you want something that can cut through those flavors" and leave you feeling fresh.

Vegetables — a light Red (Grenache)

If you grill your veggies with herbs and spices, O'Connell recommends looking for Mediterranean-based wines from the south of France, western Italy, and eastern Spain. "You find these really beautiful, more mellow wines, with a lot of sun and a lot of fruit," O'Connell said. "They've got a lot of power, but they'll still go well with those spiced herbs."

A new report from Post Office Travel Money has found the most affordable destinations in Europe for a family beach holiday.

To find the cheapest places for a holiday, Post Office Travel Money calculated several expenses for food and drink — including a three-course family meal with drinks, a bottle of beer, and can of Coca-Cola — as well as beach items such as suncream, ice cream, and the cost of renting a sun-lounger for half a day in a number of popular destinations.

Costs cited in the report were provided by national and regional tourist offices in each destination, as well as Balkan Holidays for Bulgaria.

The overall ranking is based on the total cost of all expenses in each destination.

Here are the 11 cheapest places on the continent for a family holiday, along with six typical travel items:

Note: For brevity, not all prices included in the report are cited below; a full breakdown is available on Post Office Travel Money.

11. Corfu, Greece — £145.44 ($193.06)

Family meal:£52.25 ($69.30)

Beer:£2.61 ($3.46)

Coca-Cola: £1.74 ($2.31)

Sun-lounger:£6.10 ($8.09)

Suncream:£7.40 ($9.34)

Ice cream:£1.74 ($2.31)

10. Majorca, Spain — £144.27 ($191.36)

Family meal:£60.96 ($80.86)

Beer:£1.65 ($2.19)

Coca-Cola:£1.65 ($2.19)

Sun-lounger:£4.35 ($5.77)

Suncream:£12.19 ($16.17)

Ice cream:£2.18 ($2.89)

9. Porec, Croatia — £144.18 ($191.24)

Family meal:£53.45 ($70.90)

Beer:£1.82 ($2.41)

Coca-Cola:£1.82 ($2.41)

Sun-lounger:£9.72 ($12.89)

Suncream:£6.68 ($8.86)

Ice cream:£1.46 ($1.94)

When's the last time you ate just two Oreos?

Yeah. Me neither. Yet that is the standard Food and Drug Administration serving size listed on the back of the package. In other words, eating two of these cookies will give you the caloric equivalent of a standard snack — 140 calories, or about the same as:

• Two apples
• One piece of (lightly) buttered toast
• 10 cups of spinach

In May the FDA announced that it was updating these serving sizes, or, in agency parlance, "reference amounts customarily consumed per eating occasion," so that they would better reflect how much of each item people actually eat. Those changes go into effect in summer 2018.

Read on to see what the standard serving sizes of your other favorite foods look like now:

SEE ALSO: 9 important foods you should be eating but aren't

DON'T MISS: Fat isn't nearly as bad for you as we thought — and another ingredient is likely worse

Bear Naked Go Bananas Granola: 1/4 cup

Granola is commonly touted as a health food, but in reality it's pretty high in sugar, carbs, and calories and not very high in protein. A quarter-cup serving has:

150 calories
7 grams of fat
18 grams of carbohydrates
3 grams of protein

Twizzlers: 4 twists

This movie snack is fat-free but still pretty high in calories. Just four sticks have:

160 calories
0.5g fat
36g carbs
1g protein

Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter: 2 tbsp

Despite being a classic sandwich ingredient and go-to snack, peanut butter is pretty high in calories and fat, with two tablespoons of the spread having:

190 calories
16g fat
7g carbs
7g protein

For those who live and work in Midtown Manhattan, it can be tough to find relief from the traffic and constant crowds of people.

Luckily, there are plenty of hidden parks scattered throughout New York City that can offer a quiet place to escape from the noise and heat of the city.

Whether it's a shady spot to cool off or a huge waterfall that is actually able to drown out the constant car horns, these parks have plenty to offer anyone who needs a break — and they may also provide a new spot to eat lunch or get a coffee.

For anyone who spends time between 40th St. and 51st St., these parks may become your new favorite spot. 

Here's where to find them.

1. E 48th St. and 1st Avenue

This waterfall is located right outside 100 United Nations Plaza. It's home to multiple waterfalls that wind around the corner of the building, and offers stone benches and a view of the East River.

2. E 43rd St. and 2nd Avenue

This indoor park is only open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., but it's worth a visit. The park is inside the Ford Foundation building and has a small pool, winding brick paths, and tons of foliage. 

3. E 51st St. and 3rd Avenue

This waterfall inside Greenacre Park is so loud, it's impossible to hear anything outside the park — which means it offers a great escape from the city. With multiple levels of seating and a refreshment stand, Greenacre Park might be the best-kept secret in Midtown.

Every year, Consumer Reports and its team of automotive experts test and scrutinize virtually every car sold in the US. Of those cars, a select few stand above the rest and join the vaunted group of vehicles known as Consumer Reports' Top Picks.

To become a Top Pick, a car must excel at the publication's track tests, offer average or better reliability, perform effectively in government or industry crash tests, and return high owner-satisfaction scores in Consumer Reports' surveys. 

This year's Top Picks cover a wide variety of models ranging from small roadsters to full-size pickup trucks. In total, 10 cars were chosen, with seven from Japanese brands, two from American brands, and one from a Korean brand. 

So here they are, Consumer Reports' Top Picks of 2016.

SEE ALSO: The Cadillac ATS-V is a car BMW shouldn't ignore

Best Midsize car: Toyota Camry

Price as tested: $24,089 - $32,603

Why it's on the list: The Toyota Camry has long been one of America's most popular and trusted family sedans. And the latest generation is not different.

"The solid Camry delivers year after year of outstanding reliability, which when combined with impressive crash-tests results, make it a near-perfect sedan," Consumer Reports wrote.

Best Subcompact Car: Honda Fit

Price as tested: $19,025

Why it's on the list: Although the publication criticized the Fit for its excessive road noise and harsh ride, Consumer Reports found the subcompact's great fuel economy, nimble handling, and great interior space to be truly impressive. 

Best Compact Car: Subaru Impreza

Price as tested: $21,345 - $22,345

Why it's on the list: The Subaru Impreza is back on Consumer Reports' Top Picks list once again. So what did the publication like about the sedan?

Well, what didn't they like about the Impreza: Consumer Reports praised the Subaru for its ride, handling, interior space, intuitive controls, safety tech, great crash-test results, its all-wheel-drive system, and the cargo-hauling ability of its hatchback variant. 

As far as dress codes go, summer is a tricky time.

Men, especially, have a tendency to go too far to the relaxed end of the spectrum, getting themselves into trouble by dressing inappropriately.

We've created a list of seven items that should be best avoided, as well as exactly what they should be replaced with in the warmer weather.

These seven simple upgrades will take your summer wardrobe to the next level.

SEE ALSO: Why you should never tuck your shirt in when you're wearing shorts

DON'T: Wear a Hawaiian shirt to work.

Hawaiian-style aloha shirts in subtle patterns and colors are trending these days, taking over the sidewalks and bars with their pronounced style. One place they're not taking over: the office.

DO: Wear a solid button-up in short sleeves.

But just because the patterns of Hawaiian shirts are too much for the office doesn't mean short-sleeved shirts themselves are. These days, offices are casual enough in the summer to allow for short-sleeved shirts, without running afoul of established dress norms.

Make short-sleeved shirts a staple of your work and weekend wardrobe this summer. Just make sure you follow our guide to looking good in a short-sleeved shirt.

DON'T: Wear sandals.

Sandals — either with (shudder) or without socks—are completely unacceptable for men. Your toes and feet should be covered at all times while indoors, even in the summer. 

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: wearing open-toed shoes is disgusting unless you're on the beach, or going to the beach.

Many people fantasize about quitting the rat race and exploring the world, but few actually have the guts to do it.

Nikki Levi and Jakob Celnik, graduates of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, quit their well-paying corporate jobs, bought a van, and drove 38,000 miles across the Americas.

Their journey lasted 16 months and took them across Canada and down the West Coast of California, through Central and South America, and down to Ushuaia, Argentina, an area also known as the "end of the earth."

Levi worked at Citigroup in New York as a high-yield credit-research analyst for four years before moving to Apple. Celnik worked at the Blackstone Group, also in New York, for almost three years before moving over to Soros Fund Management.

"While leaving our jobs, we were terrified," Levi told Business Insider.

"How can you leave finance? I mean the money ... that's all there is to live for right?" she joked.

"But in hindsight, we shouldn't have been ... We cannot buy time, so we try to enjoy the time we do have doing the things we love, with the people and animals we love," she said.

Levi, Celnik, and their dog, Leika, set off on the adventure of a lifetime in May 2014. Here's what their journey was like:

They bought a used 2008 Dodge Sprinter 2500 high-roof van, with a 144-inch wheelbase, and with about 90,000 miles on the clock.

It was completely empty when they bought it. With little carpentry, mechanics, or construction experience, it was a process of trial and error to figure out what exactly to build and how to build it. They figured out a budget and tried to learn as much as they could by reading guides like the Sprinter forum and the Sprinter conversion sourcebook.

The bed frame was one of the first things they built.

First, they needed to figure out the layout of the floor plan for their van build. They chose a Sprinter with a 144-inch wheelbase and high roof because its length allowed for parking in regular parking spots, while its roof was high enough for both to stand up — even Celnik at 6 feet 2 inches.

Then they worked on the storage units.

Since the space inside the van was so small, everything had to be precisely measured.

They managed to fit storage cabinets close to the bed for clothes, books, and toiletries and deeper cabinets at the end of the bed.

There are no straight lines in the van, except for the bed platform itself, and all four walls are shaped differently. They had to get creative.

Sneakers have some of the most passionate collectors, and a vibrant $1+ billion resale market.

That market is so good that when Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert wanted to create a stock market for physical goods, he chose sneakers as a starting point. The result is StockX, which Gilbert cofounded with CEO Josh Luber.

The Detroit-based startup tries to bring stock-market style pricing to sneakers. (You can read our full profile of StockX here).

But one thing we were really curious about was simply which sneakers fetched the highest prices, on average. So we asked StockX. The startup provided Business Insider with a list of the 15 sneakers with the highest average sale price on StockX. They range from Yeezys to "Back to the Future" replicas to Jordans.

Here they are:  

SEE ALSO: Why Cleveland Cavs owner Dan Gilbert cofounded a 'stock market for sneakers'

No. 15: Lebron 10 Celebration Pack — $3,550

Link.

No. 14: Nike Air Yeezy 2 Pure Platinum — $3,552

Link.

No. 13: Jordan 5 Tokyo T23 — $3,791

Link.