Lauren Ivey is the executive chef at Death & Taxes, the nationally recognized downtown Raleigh restaurant within the Ashley Christensen Restaurants group. In collaboration with Ashley, she oversees the kitchen team and the menu, which has garnered praise for its inventive, subtle exploration of the flavors and techniques of cooking with wood fire. The restaurant’s focal point is a 2,000-pound custom-made grill, which Iveyuses as the anchoring inspiration of her dishes.

Prior to joining Death & Taxes as chef de cuisine in 2016, Lauren was the sous chef at Christensen’s first restaurant, the award-winning Poole’s Diner. She also honed her skills at Centro in Boulder and Rioja in Denver and was the opening sous chef of Abbott’s Cellar in San Francisco. When she’s not behind the stoves, Lauren is most likely to be found outdoors, or cooking with friends and family.