Ashley Christensen

Ashley Christensen is an American chef, restaurateur, and author known for her role in shaping Raleigh, North Carolina, into a prominent culinary destination. Christensen began her culinary career while in college, hosting dinner parties that sparked her passion for cooking and hospitality. Her first professional cooking position at age 21 confirmed her commitment to the restaurant industry. After gaining experience in several notable kitchens in the Triangle, she opened Poole's Diner, named for the building's original tenant. The restaurant features a chalkboard menu of comfort-food classics, reinterpreted with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients and French-influenced techniques.

As chef and proprietor of AC Restaurants, Christensen oversees Poole's Diner, Fox Liquor Bar, Beasley's Chicken + Honey, Death & Taxes, Poole'side Pies, and AC Events. She opened Beasley's Chicken + Honey and Fox Liquor Bar in a historic building that once housed a Piggly-Wiggly. AC Restaurants later introduced Death & Taxes, a restaurant focused on wood-fire cooking with Southern ingredients, and Bridge Club, a private events loft and cooking classroom. Death & Taxes became a James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant and was recognized by Food & Wine as one of the best new restaurants in the country. Christensen also co-founded BB's Crispy Chicken, a fast-casual fried chicken sandwich concept with multiple locations in the Triangle.

Christensen received the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Chef Award, becoming the only North Carolinian to earn this distinction. She previously won the foundation's Best Chef: Southeast Award. Additional honors include Chef of the Year by Eater.com and Tar Heel of the Year by News & Observer. She holds an honorary doctorate from North Carolina State University. Christensen is the author of two cookbooks: "Poole's: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner," published by Ten Speed Press and recognized by the New York Times, and "It's Always Freezer Season," co-authored with Kaitlyn Goalen.

Her work has been featured in Bon Appétit, Gourmet, The New York Times, Southern Living, Wall Street Journal, and Garden & Gun. She has appeared on Food Network's Iron Chef America and MSNBC's Your Business. Christensen is active in philanthropy, partnering with the Frankie Lemmon Foundation to establish a relief fund for restaurant workers and serving on the boards of Dix Park Conservancy and Shepherd's Table Soup Kitchen. She is a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and founded the biannual event Stir the Pot to support the organization's documentary initiatives. Christensen is also an advocate for women's issues in the culinary industry, addressing sexual harassment through her writing and public engagement. Through her restaurants, cookbooks, and advocacy, Christensen has become a significant voice in Southern cuisine and the restaurant industry.