Birdie's Arjav Ezekiel takes home James Beard

Driving the news: Ezekiel won in the new Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service category.

• It's one of three new categories focused on beverages at the James Beard Awards.

What they're saying: "It feels like a big win for our city," Ezekiel told Axios at the ceremony in Chicago. "I think people assume Austin is a cocktail city, but we're very fast becoming a wine city."

Between the lines: Birdie's continues to be a standout in Austin's culinary scene, and Ezekiel was Austin's only finalist at this year's awards.

• The restaurant's chef and co-owner, Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel, was a finalist in the Best Texas Chef category last year.

Zoom out: Houston's Belly of the Beast chef Thomas Bille nabbed the title of Best Chef in Texas, beating out four other finalists in the regional category.

The bottom line: "(Austin) is an incredible place to open a restaurant, it's an incredible community to raise your child in, and it is a really special place to walk back into with a medal around my neck," Ezekiel said.