Giving a place named Pastaria the Best Chicken title feels a little like that time the Golden Globes named The Martian “Best Comedy,” but this decision is infinitely less stupid. Pastaria simply does it right: grilled, juicy chicken is topped with braised Swiss chard, garlic and shallots, and it sits on toasted bread that’s happily drowning in rich, savory jus. In a town famous for hot chicken but full of farm-fresh fowl, this is the Southern comfort food Nashville needs now. ASHLEY BRANTLEY

