"On the writer's very first meal out in 2025 at Haley Fortier's Fenway wine bar (a sibling to Haley Henry in Downtown Crossing), a reader's high praise of the chef, Isaac Reyes, from the writer's end-of-year dining survey prompted expectations — and then a surprise: what the writer calls arguably one of the city's best plates of fried chicken right now. The chicken is crispy and crunchy, tossed in a slightly sweet, citrusy rub, skewered, and served over a creamy pool of garlic aioli; the resulting savory-sweet bites really work. If you’re looking for a little ray of happiness in the middle of a bone-chilling winter, this is it." - Erika Adams