In 15 years, Poole’s has recast the Raleigh culinary landscape.
A “modern diner with reimagined comfort food,” Poole’s elevated more than our palates when it splashed on the scene 15 years ago on a sleepy section of McDowell Street. With its Southern staples (nod to that coveted mac and cheese—aka crackaroni!), craft cocktails and rotating seasonal dishes chalked up on the signature chalkboard, Poole’s easily put Raleigh on the map as a dining destination. And landed Raleigh its first (and only) Beard chef—and now 2x winner as 2014 Best Chef Southeast and 2019 Outstanding Chef—in the top toque behind it all, Ashley Christensen.
Since its inception, Poole’s has unequivocally evolved and elevated the local culinary landscape. Christensen and Poole’s are now surrounded by a celebrated cast of epicurean greats who rival some of the best chefs and restaurants in the country—as, all the while, Christensen’s star has skyrocketed.
But to put it all in context, accomplishing 15 years with one restaurant alone is no small feat—never mind the Poole’s proprietor’s business boom. Roughly 60% of restaurants fail in their first year alone, according to the National Restaurant Association, and 80% within five years.
The magnitude of Poole’s success isn’t something Christensen takes lightly. “It means so many things, many of which I am still processing daily,” she says. “First, it means our team created something that has stood the test of time—and a pandemic. This is thanks to 15 years of amazing contributors and an incredible community of supporters who have grown with us. Fifteen years under our belts reminds me of the importance of continuing to learn and grow with the world, and to remember that change is not failure, it is evolution.”
So, on Dec. 13, to commemorate a benchmark 15 years, Christensen and her team will spend the evening cooking a special dinner at Poole’s to benefit the Shepherd’s Table Soup Kitchen of Raleigh. A fitting fete, as arguably the chef’s recipe for success is her community engagement, both in her dedication to the city she feeds—body and soul—and in her direct mentorship of her peers. Over the last decade-and-a-half, some of those “contributors” to whom Christensen nods are part of a powerhouse pool of Poole’s talent whom she has mentored—and who have emerged as hospitality titans in their own right.
And beyond that wide net and still-rising star, Christensen still has big plans for Raleigh. To extend the anniversary celebration, 2023 will see monthly curated events focused on the entire ACR company straight from Christensen’s bucket list that will host some big names. “Kait and I are excited to bring some amazing hospitality leaders from around the country to Raleigh,” says the ACR namesake. “We are thrilled to share these folks and experiences with our city—but also to share the awesomeness of Raleigh with our visitors.” … I think I speak for all of us when I say, let’s get this party started. ac-restaurants.com
Now sitting at the helm of a culinary empire that shows no signs of slowing—as you likely know—Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants group notably houses highly acclaimed sup spots including the likes of Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, Death & Taxes, and Poole’side Pies. Not to mention her 2021 ubersuccessful leap into the fast-casual realm with rapidly expanding BB’s Crispy Chicken. And, beyond the borders of her bistros, she’s also added acclaimed author to her restaurateur résumé, with an AC Events arm to boot. NTM serving as mentor to 15 years of amazing contributors—all stars in their own right.
Goodnights is officially opening in its new underground Village District digs soon—and starts off with a bang via some big names worth the ticket. Make a night of it—or even a staycation—with these selects on where to sip, nip and nightcap for a night of live-comedy laughs.
Alcohol-free doesn’t have to mean spiritless. Add some spirit to your dry season with these brand-new AF selects sweeping the nation just in time for sipping through dry January.
Wilderton Botanical Spirit adds to its signature n/a spirits Earthen (spicy and smoky) and Lustre (bright, floral, citrusy) with another sipper to round out its AF trio handcrafted from globally sourced botanicals in the Pacific Northwest.
Photo courtesy of Wilderton
Bittersweet Apertivo
The recently released media darling as seen in The New York Times is the love child of Campari, Aperol and sweet vermouth—sans the alcohol. Post dry season, it also makes for an adventurous cocktail mixer.
Voting is still open for Raleigh Magazine’s Best Bars—including the first-ever highly competitive Best Bartender Award! For our annual Best Bars Issue, vote for your favorite bars across a range of categories (Overall, Sports, Whiskey and more), including Best Overall—and, new this year, cast your vote for the best in-town ’tender from a cast of highly curated crafty nominees. No doubt all 16 have earned their stirring stripes—but which one takes the top spirited award? The choice is yours. Voting for Best Bartender (and Best Bars) ends Dec. 15. Go have a drink—or 16—raise a glass to the city’s best bartenders of 2022, and rock the vote. Then stay tuned for our February Best Bars Issue. Rock(s) on.
“My favorite to make for people is the 4:1 martini with blanc vermouth instead of dry. Using blanc vermouth adds body and balance to a drink usually restricted to being a super-dry booze-bomb or just a glass full of olive brine (not to say I don’t like both of those too). My preference is 2 oz. Nikka Coffey gin, .5 oz Yzaguirre blanco reserva, and eucalyptus bitters with a lime twist.”
Preddy, Bittersweet, @bittersweetraleigh
“Any classic cocktail I can talk them into substituting a gin for really. Like a Perfect Manhattan made with No. 209 Chardonnay-Barrel Rested gin. I feel like classic cocktails are often overlooked. When people come into Bittersweet thinking they don’t like gin, I want to change their minds… and I’ve got a 100% success rate.”
Colby Kress, Dram & Draught, @dramanddraught; @colorblindchameleon3
“A classic Negroni (1 part gin, 1 part sweet vermouth, 1 part Campari)… I enjoy the Negroni because it is simple, well balanced and you can get one at pretty much any bar you go too. It is also one of the first cocktails I learned how to make when I first started bartending so it has a special place in my heart.”
Daniel “Rico” Tallarico, Flask Cocktail Bar, @flaskcocktailbar
The Flask Old-Fashioned
Kyle Hankin, Foundation, @foundation_bar
“I love making people a proper martini because they’re incredible: 1 part dry vermouth, 2 parts gin, 1 dash orange bitters, 1 pinch of salt—as cold as you can stir it, lemon twist.”
Taylor Sullivan, The Haymaker, @haymakerraleigh
“The Devil in a Blue Dress (2 oz. tequila, .5 oz. lemon, 1 oz. simple, .5 oz. Blue Curacao, 5 drops Remedy Cocktail Company chocolate chili bitters, an egg white): I’ve always loved using egg whites in drinks. It has a way of blending all of the flavors and enriching the texture.”
Kat Binkley, Killjoy, @killjoycocktail
“Any sort of fun whiskey sour made traditional style with egg white! It’s super-rewarding to convince someone to have an open mind and ‘just try it.’ They end up loving it every time! Lately I’ve been doing a blood orange variation called Orange You Something with a spiced blood orange reduction I make in our kitchen.”
“Hanky Panky (gin, sweet vermouth and fernet Branca): “[I love] the simplicity and versatility of pairing vermouths and gins, highlighting different nuanced flavors within both—and the fernet rinse provides aromatics that let the depth of flavor stand out.”
Rebekah Hayes, The Longleaf Lounge, @thelongleaflounge
“I love mixing my Negroni-adjacent cocktail, Suspiria (named after my favorite horror flick). It’s made up of Del Maguey Vida mezcal, Cynar, Carpano Antica and some drops of a Hellfire habanero shrub. It’s a well balanced, sweet, bitter, fiery, little thing that will keep your taste buds on their toes!”
Cynthia Valverde, The Merchant, @themerchantnc
“The Negroni is a classic cocktail and along with it being a delicious libation, it’s my favorite—but also a favorite of one of the most influential luminaries in my eyes, Anthony Bourdain! As he would say, the drink will ‘hit you like a freight train after four or five.’ It is an easy drink to make, and to make well!”
Brad Froeschle, The Raleigh Times, @raleightimesbar
“Old-Fashioned (bourbon, bitters, simple syrup and orange peel): I like the simplicity, the process and, of course, I love bourbon!!”
Taylor Martinez, Vidrio, @vidrioraleigh
“My favorite cocktail to make for guests is a gimlet. It’s a classic cocktail with only three ingredients (2 oz. gin, 1 oz. lime, .75 oz. simple; shaken and double-strained, and served in a coupe with an expressed lime twist), but the type of gin you pick is the fun part. There are so many botanicals to choose from, and each is its own experience.”
Jacob Morey, Watts & Ward, @wattsandward
“Last Word (gin, lime juice, luxardo maraschino liqueur, green Chartreuse): Gin has been taking over in terms of popularity. The Last Word cocktail has everything from sweet to herbal to citrusy taste to make even non-gin drinkers wanna try this cocktail out. It’s by far my favorite gin cocktail and my go-to drink to make for guests.”
Johnny Berry, Whiskey Kitchen, @whiskey.kitchen
“The Scofflaw: Prohibition era cocktail that has historical context and is so universally balanced that I can give it to established whiskey drinkers and beginners, and both can appreciate it for its character and approachability.”
Mike Saunders, William & Company (Willco), @willcobar
“Onza margarita—a mezcal-based cocktail in which you can taste every component, from the sweetness of the dill, tart of the lime and the saltiness of the salted agave. It’s my favorite cocktail to mix and talk about.”
Zac Rogerson, Wye Hill Brewing, @wyehill
“Clear Eyes Can’t Lose: It’s my clarified milk punch. There are 19 different ingredients, including two types of rum, bourbon, brandy, pineapples, star anise, and coffee beans. I love making this cocktail because it takes five days to make the base, and three to four hours to clarify. But once the cocktail is done, all you have to do is stir on ice and serve!”
A new city council is being sworn in Dec. 5 at Union Station, including four new faces: Mary Black, Megan Patton, Jane Harrison and Christina Jones. Many have described this council as divided—and reelected Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin as having to govern a council pitted against her. But, for her part, the mayor is optimistic. “People always want to paint negative pictures,” said Baldwin in a conversation with us one week post-election.
“This is the most diverse council in the history of Raleigh—and probably the youngest,” she said. “So I’m thinking, ‘I can’t wait to hear new ideas and these perspectives.’ And we have to respect that and all work together.” During and since the election, the council has been cast by nearly everyone as anti-growth vs. pro-growth. But the mayor doesn’t see it that way. “They actually are not anti-growth. They fall across lines of smart growth, and I think we share common values,” she said, including affordable housing, transit, small business and climate change, to name a few.
In talking to new council members, Baldwin says she thinks there could actually be a lot of unity and consensus within city council, which begins with building relationships and trust, listening to one another, and a willingness to compromise. Bottom line: “The campaign is over,” said Baldwin. “Now we govern. It’s not about activism. It’s about doing what’s best for our community.”
Are CACs the most divisive issue?
A hot-button issue leading up to the election and now anticipated to be one of the most divisive issues facing council are Citizen Advisory Councils (or CACs). If you aren’t familiar, you’re not alone. According to a city survey, more than 90% of residents had never heard of or been to a CAC—meaning this is a “hot-button issue” for a select few. That said, reinstating or revamping these advisory councils was also the central issue fueling some candidates to throw their hat in the ring for city council.
In short, CACs were intended to be nonpartisan advisory boards representing different geographical regions of the city, comprised of nonelected citizens. These councils routinely held meetings as a way of dispersing information and gathering public input. The CACs were disbanded without public input or notice in early 2020, a move for which Mayor Baldwin took much ire in the media. But, she says, her goal was to actually make community engagement more inclusive—not eliminate community engagement altogether. “My feeling is that CACs were exclusive, not inclusive, and we’re looking at ways to make community engagement inclusive.”
For their part, new District E Council Member Christina Jones served as former chairperson of the Raleigh Citizen Advisory Council. And new District D Council Member Jane Harrison reestablished the West Raleigh Community Advocacy Council and has vocally advocated for reestablishing robust community engagement. “Economic development should be community-centered, and city decisions must recognize the voices of the most affected groups, including historically marginalized communities and neighbors adjacent to a development,” Harrison told Raleigh Magazine. “We need forums like CACs and neighborhood associations to convene across the city, sharing information and developing leadership capacity to bring the best ideas forward.”
We asked Baldwin for her take on the return of CACs, and she nodded to the active community engagement board that council has asked to come up with ideas to move things forward. “I would like to see that community engagement board do its work and let us listen to them about what they think is needed,” she said. “And I hope we allow the community engagement board to do its work.”
