Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel is an American chef and restaurateur. In 2023 her restaurant Birdie's in Austin, Texas, was named by Food & Wine their Restaurant of the Year.
Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Tomball, Texas |
| Education | University of Houston, Culinary Institute of America |
| Spouse | Arjav Ezekiel |
| Culinary career | |
Current restaurant(s)
| |
Award(s) won
| |
Early life and education
editMalechek-Ezekiel was born and raised in Tomball, Texas, near Houston.[1][2] She spent summers on her grandparents' sheep and goat ranch in west Texas.[3][2] Her grandfather, Phil Aiello, moved to Brooklyn from Calabria when he was twelve.[4]
She graduated from the University of Houston.[5] She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park, New York.[3]
Career
editAfter graduating from the University of Houston, Malechek-Ezekiel worked in Spain; in Chicago, where she worked at Lula Cafe; and in New York City, where she worked at Cru, Del Posto, Blue Hill, Gramercy Tavern and Untitled.[5][2][4]
In 2021 she and her husband, sommelier Arjav Ezekiel, opened Birdie's, a counter-service wine bar in Austin, Texas.[6][7] The restaurant's service model, which Austin Monthly calls a "new take", maintains a minimal front-of-house staff; it takes no reservations, all diners stand in line to place their initial orders and seat themselves, and further service is not assigned to a single server.[3][2][8][9] It closes for two weeks in August and two weeks in late December/early January to provide staff paid time off.[8] The restaurant was named to The New York Times 2021 Restaurant List.[10] The Austin American-Statesman named it Austin's best new restaurant of 2021.[11] It was named Food & Wine's 2023 Restaurant of the Year.[12][3][4] The couple also run pop-up Italian restaurants called Aiello's after Malechek-Ezekiel's grandfather.[1][4]
Reception
editThe New York Times in 2021 called her food "bright [and] graceful" and said she was on "the leading edge of what makes eating great in [Austin]".[10] The Austin American-Statesman in 2021 called her food "straightforward food executed flawlessly".[11] CBS's Jamie Wax, describing himself as a lifelong fan of beef tartare, called her version "the best tartare I've ever tasted";[3] the Austin American-Statesman's Matthew Odam also called out the dish, saying, "If there’s a better beef tartare in Austin,...I haven’t had it".[11] In 2024 she was a James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef:Texas.[6]
Personal life
editMalechek-Ezekiel married Arjav Ezekiel in 2018.[7] The couple met in 2015 while both were working at Untitled in New York City, she as sous chef and he as dining room manager.[1] They have a son.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c Duttweiler, Darcie (2023-05-24). "Inside Birdie's Journey: A Tale of Evolution and Culinary Innovation: How a Power Couple Brought East Coast Vibes to Texas". Tribeza. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b c d Sharpe, Patricia (2022-01-18). "Are You Ready for Fine-Casual Dining?". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Dish:Birdies". CBS.
- ^ a b c d Martin, Richard (2023-10-02). "How Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel Created Hit Restaurant Birdie's". Appetito. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b "Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel". Southern Smoke. 2023-04-12. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b Mayhugh, Jess (2024-04-03). "One Austin Chef Is a James Beard Award 2024 Finalist". Eater Austin. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b Asimov, Eric (26 August 2024). "Now an Acclaimed Restaurateur, He Long Concealed a Secret". New York Times.
- ^ a b Jennings, Lisa (30 June 2023). "This restaurant closes for 4 weeks every year to give its workers a vacation". Restaurant Business. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ 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 "The 2021 Restaurant List". The New York Times. 2021-10-11. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ a b c Odam, Matthew. "This is the best new restaurant in Austin in 2021 (so far)". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
- ^ Shah, Kshushbu (15 September 2023). "Birdie's in Austin Marries Destination-Worthy Dining With a Sustainable, Supportive Workplace". Food & Wine. Retrieved 2024-09-28.