Birdie's

Last updated

Birdie's
Restaurant information
Established2021
Owner(s)Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, Arjaz Ezekiel
Street address2944 East 12th Street
CityAustin
StateTexas
Postal/ZIP Code78702
Coordinates 30°16′35″N97°42′17″W / 30.2764°N 97.7046°W / 30.2764; -97.7046
Website www.birdiesaustin.com

Birdie's is a restaurant in Austin, Texas. In 2023 it was named Food & Wine 's Restaurant of the Year. The New York Times' Eric Asimov in 2024 called it "one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country".

Contents

History

The restaurant was opened in 2021 by chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and sommelier Arjav Ezekiel, who are husband and wife. [1] [2]

Business and service models

Birdie's is a counter-service restaurant and wine bar. [1]

The restaurant's business and service models, which Austin Monthly calls a "new take", maintain 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] [4] [5] [1]

All workers are paid an hourly rate that does not assume tips; tips are pooled among all staff proportionately to the hours worked that week. [2] The restaurant closes for two weeks in August and two weeks in late December/early January to provide staff paid time off. [5] [2] It offers paid family leave and health insurance. [2]

The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday. [2] It sometimes closes to become a pop-up Italian restaurant called Aiello's, named after Malechek-Ezekiel's grandfather, who immigrated from Calabria. [2]

Reception

The restaurant was named to the New York Times 2021 Restaurant List. [6] The Austin American-Statesman named it Austin's best new restaurant of 2021. [7]

In 2023 Food & Wine's named Birdie's its Restaurant of the Year, calling it "the restaurant that everyone wants in their neighborhood". [2] [3] [8] According to the New York Times' Eric Asimov, writing in 2024, it is "one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country". [9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hughes, Chris (October 22, 2021). "The Powerhouse Duo Behind Birdie's Brings a Refreshing New Take on the Wine Bar". Austin Monthly . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Shah, Kshushbu (September 15, 2023). "Birdie's in Austin Marries Destination-Worthy Dining With a Sustainable, Supportive Workplace". Food & Wine . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "The Dish:Birdies". CBS .
  4. Sharpe, Patricia (January 18, 2022). "Are You Ready for Fine-Casual Dining?". Texas Monthly . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Jennings, Lisa (June 30, 2023). "This restaurant closes for 4 weeks every year to give its workers a vacation". Restaurant Business . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  6. "The 2021 Restaurant List". The New York Times . October 11, 2021. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  7. Odam, Matthew (November 11, 2021). "This is the best new restaurant in Austin in 2021 (so far)". Austin American-Statesman . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  8. Martin, Richard (October 2, 2023). "How Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel Created Hit Restaurant Birdie's". Appetito . Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  9. Asimov, Eric (August 26, 2024). "Now an Acclaimed Restaurateur, He Long Concealed a Secret". New York Times . Retrieved September 28, 2024.