Introducing Chef Isaac Reyes

April 24, 2026

Introducing nathálie wine bar

It’s a Tuesday evening and you’ve found yourself in a corner of a cozy wine bar. The lighting is dim, the music upbeat, the busy kitchen and bar visible from your seat. You find yourself with a wine glass in hand, fluffy gnocchi pillows plated in front of you, and a great (maybe even a little tipsy) conversation with your company. Welcome to nathálie wine bar, The Fenway’s neighborhood spot for sipping on unique wines, savoring delicious unforgettable bites, and a settling in for really, really good time.

Introducing Chef Isaac Reyes

Chef Isaac Reyes is a familiar face behind the nathálie bar, and someone who has been part of nathálie family since the very beginning first as a wine bringer, and now as the person running the kitchen. And his path here was anything but straight.

Isaac grew up in a drive-through town called Yonkers, New York, where he was glued to the TV, watching as much cooking network television as he could. He felt inspired by his mother, a solid cook who could really bake. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and then went on to a customer-facing role at The Four Seasons. While at school, Isaac gathered all the hands-on kitchen experience he could, recounting long days in the kitchen, “It just made me love it even more. The kitchen culture, the high stress and high work rate, but the awesome reward of being able to serve others. I don’t know why but being hospitable has always been my DNA and I always put others before myself.”

When wine entered the equation

The Four Seasons was a new challenge from the kitchen scene he’d grown accustomed to. This opportunity introduced Isaac to the world of wine, “I took the Sommelier route, and I just kind of fell in love with wine. The whole history behind it, where it comes from, how it’s made.” He spent time abroad, visiting vineyards, memorizing grapes, and experiencing the craft, not knowing then that this path would ultimately lead him to nathálie wine bar.

When he first interviewed at nathálie, he didn’t ask to cook. Owner, Haley Fortier assumed he was there for the kitchen, but Isaac was adamant about keeping on his wine path, “I did all this training, I did all this memorization of grapes, I got my Sommelier certificate. And I just want to be able to use that information.” Over the years whenever nathálie had a chef opening, Haley would always turn to Isaac to gauge interest in the role. Finally, three years ago, when Haley asked Isaac again, he said yes, which ignited quite the culinary journey for Isaac (and all of us in The Fenway!).

Kitchen culture

The kitchen he runs now reflects everywhere he’s been. Southwestern flavors influenced by his time in California. Spanish, French, Italian, and Mediterranean influences woven in. Isaac believes you “can tell you a lot about a person”, from a dish. “I think you can definitely tell a lot from my food.” That’s not where the kitchen creativity ends, at nathálie there’s always a chef menu series or date menu special. Take the 5 6-7 series for example, where five consecutive Wednesdays become six or seven courses of whatever Isaac is inspired by that week.  

how nathálie pours

nathálie’s approach is fun, inclusive, and experiential, “We’re not super snooty. We’re comfortable, an inviting space where people can enjoy wines and try something different that they never had before. If you’re trying natural wine (which is what nathálie serves), you just kind of throw all the rules out the window, which I feel correlates with us as well. We’re laid back and we’re really experimenting, but we also know our stuff.”

Beyond the wine, nathálie has become a focal neighborhood spot. In The Fenway, where there’s been a lot of change, regulars can count on nathálie to always be nathálie. Chef Isaac understands the unique experience and privilege of being a neighborhood spot, with simple moments like seeing your regulars out for their morning coffee, and the major life moments where they elect to celebrate graduations and wedding rehearsal dinners at nathálie, ” It’s fun to see these relationships grow and to be on a first name basis with all these people.”

What nathálie means to Isaac

nathálie has provided one heck of a ride for Isaac so far, and to Isaac it’s only just the beginning: “I’ve learned a lot the past eight years now. I’ve grown a lot. This kind of space is constantly evolving; it never gets boring. In a way, and I feel like that’s been a big draw for me to stay on. We’re always constantly trying to one up the year before. It’s always like a roller coaster, and it never stops.” Buckle up and get ready for what’s coming at you next from nathálie wine bar!

Swing by nathálie & find out what’s on the menu

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