Raleigh's Ashley Christensen Takes Top Honor At James Beard Awards

A Raleigh chef who grew up in Kernersville won top honors at Monday night's James Beard Awards ceremony.

Ashley Christensen is known for her comfort food at Poole's Diner in Raleigh. Now the James Beard Foundation has honored her work with a medal for Outstanding Chef in the country. She's been nominated in the category before, but this is her first win.

The News and Observer reports Christensen opened Poole's Diner in 2007, with a menu highlighting American diner fare. She has gone on to build a restaurant empire in Raleigh, and won the award for Best Chef in the Southeast in 2014.

In her acceptance speech, Christensen recalled her childhood in Kernersville, and thanked her parents for teaching her the value of families eating together.

Poole's Diner has been credited with helping reinvigorate Raleigh's now-thriving restaurant community.