A huge congratulations for Raleigh’s Ashley Christensen who tonight was named “Best Chef in the Southeast” at the James Beard Awards ! Christensen first made a name for herself in this market with her food at Enoteca Vin, but then moved on to open the Raleigh Times Bar with Greg Hatem. After leaving the Times Bar, she opened her best-known restaurant, Poole’s Diner , which set the tone for her interpretation of classic comfort foods.

Keying on resonating trends at Poole’s, Christensen branched out to open Chuck’s , Beasley’s Chicken + Honey , Fox Liquor Bar , and Joule Coffee . The endlessly energetic Christensen will soon expand her territory with the opening of Death & Taxes and Aux Kitchen.

This marks the first Beard award winner for Raleigh and another for the Triangle region. Raleigh’s proud of Ashley for finally getting this prestigious award and helping to cement this area as one of the best culinary markets in the country!