ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN is the chef and owner of seven restaurants--Poole's Diner, Beasley's Chicken + Honey, Chuck's, Fox Liquor Bar, Joule Coffee & Table, Death & Taxes, and Bridge Club--all located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Ashley's cooking and her philosophy of bright, fresh flavors and locally grown, seasonal ingredients have garnered local and national acclaim. Ashley is involved in a number of charities, including the Frankie Lemmon Foundation, the Southern Foodways Alliance, and Share Our Strength. In 2014, Ashley was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef Southeast.