BB&T Charleston Wine + Food Festival

The combination of food and community have always played an integral role in Ashley Christensen’s personal and professional life. Ashley began cooking for friends and family in college. Bringing people together at intimate dinner parties helped her recognize her passion for the craft of cooking and sharing food. When Ashley landed her first professional cooking job at 21, she knew she had found her life’s work. Thus began her simple, off-the-cuff style of cooking and visiting that was first developed during those dinners.

Ashley was raised in Greensboro, North Carolina by two parents who placed incredible importance on growing, cooking, eating and appreciating food. They instilled in Ashley a deep respect for locally grown produce and the people that create it. In December 2007, Ashley opened Poole’s Diner, a former shotgun diner of the same name with 70 seats that had been one of Raleigh’s oldest dining establishments. Her commitment to North Carolina farmers is clear in her first solo venture which offers an evolving menu of local, seasonal fare.

Poole’s counts many Raleigh residents and visitors as regulars and has quickly gained national attention from Bon Appétit, Gourmet, The New York Times and Southern Living. In 2008, The News & Observer named Poole’s “Best New Restaurant.” Ashley was named one of the “Female Chefs of the Next Generation” by Bon Appétit in their 2008 annual restaurant issue and holds the title of The Independent Weekly’s “Best Local Chef” four years running.

Ashley has been a guest chef at The James Beard House and Taste of The South at Blackberry Farm. She is an active member of the Southern Foodways Alliance and was a founding board member of the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market. Ashley also contributes her culinary and fundraising talents to a number of national charities and community organizations including Share our Strength and the Frankie Lemmon Foundation.

When in Raleigh, you will find Ashley behind the stoves at Poole’s Diner.