Arjav Ezekiel is an Indian-American restaurateur and sommelier. He and his wife, chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, own and operate Birdie's in Austin, Texas, which was named Food & Wine's 2023 Restaurant of the Year.
Arjav Ezekiel | |
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| Born | 1987 or 1988 (age 36–37) New Delhi, India |
| Education | Kenyon College |
| Spouse | Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
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Award(s) won
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Early life
editEzekiel was born in New Delhi, India. In 1999, when he was twelve, his family emigrated to Portland, Oregon, on tourist visas and became undocumented after their visas expired.[1][2] He has described the stresses of living undocumented; when he was in high school, his school choir toured Europe, and he "had to come up with a creative excuse for not going".[1] His parents could not return home for their own parents' funerals.[1]
Ezekiel attend Kenyon College.[1]
Career
editAfter graduating from college, Ezekiel was offered a job as a paralegal but was unable to accept it because of his undocumented status.[1] He started working in restaurants in Washington DC, including Komi and Wolfgang Puck's Source, starting as a waiter and eventually becoming captain, and decided to make hospitality his career.[1][2] He worked in New York at Gramercy Tavern and Untitled, both restaurants owned by Union Square Hospitality Group.[1] He staged at French Laundry and Meadowood.[1]
In 2021, Ezekiel and his wife, chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, opened Birdie's, a counter-service wine bar, in Austin, Texas where he manages the wine program.[1][3] In 2023 Food & Wine named it their Restaurant of the Year.[3][4] The couple also run pop-up Italian restaurants called Aiello's.[3][4]
Personal life
editIn 2012, he received documentation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).[1] Ezekiel married Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel in 2018; the couple met in 2015 while working in at Untitled New York City and decided to move to Austin to open a restaurant together to enable a better work-life balance.[1][3][4] The couple have a son born in 2022.[3]
Ezekiel received a green card after his marriage and in 2023 became a US citizen.[1] Before becoming a citizen, he never visited a wine region outside of the United States.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Asimov, Eric (26 August 2024). "Now an Acclaimed Restaurateur, He Long Concealed a Secret". New York Times.
- ^ a b Hughes, Chris (2021-10-22). "The Powerhouse Duo Behind Birdie's Brings a Refreshing New Take on the Wine Bar". Austin Monthly. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b c d e Shah, Kshushbu (15 September 2023). "Birdie's in Austin Marries Destination-Worthy Dining With a Sustainable, Supportive Workplace". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b c Martin, Richard (2023-10-02). "How Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel Created Hit Restaurant Birdie's". Appetito. Retrieved 2024-09-28.