From Texas wagyu pho to Asian-inspired cocktails, Bites & Basil is bringing a fresh take on Vietnamese cuisine to Hutto.

The background: Tumy and Phen Diep opened Bites & Basil in early January following the success of their restaurant Broth & Basil in Pflugerville, which opened in 2019.

Phen Diep moved to the U.S. from Vietnam when he was around 18 and met Tumy while working in the restaurant industry. They opened Broth & Basil with the goal of bringing traditional Vietnamese flavors to the Austin area, while infusing them with a modern Texas twist.

On the menu: Featured dishes include pho wagyu, pho beef rib and a variety of vermicelli options.

Staying local: Tumy Diep said they were able to establish their brand in Pflugerville, and expanding to Hutto has allowed them to become even more involved in the community.

Bites & Basil offers happy hour from 3-6 p.m. and is closed on Sundays to allow staff to spend a day with their families.

A Tomlinson’s Feed is currently under construction in Pflugerville, a spokesperson with the company confirmed to Community Impact.

The details: Tomlinson’s has several locations across the Austin area and offers food, toys, treats and supplies for dogs and cats. The business also hosts local pet rescue adoption events, and offers microchip scanning and self-serve dog washing stations.

The location will be in the Pflugerville Parkway retail center, near the H-E-B that opened in late 2024.

• 17713 N. SH 130, Ste. 300, Pflugerville

The Williamson County League of Women Voters will hold a nonpartisan event this weekend to educate the public about voting rights, bringing speakers, workshops and information stations to Round Rock.

In a nutshell: The organization’s Unite & Rise for Voting Rights event will be held Aug. 8 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Rabb House, located at 151 N. A.W. Grimes Blvd., Round Rock.

It is open to all Williamson County residents, but attendees are asked to register ahead of time.

The specifics: The event will have stations where attendees can register to vote, check their registration status and learn more about becoming involved in the local political process.

Within the next year, Texans will likely see changes to when they can vote early in elections, including expanded weekend voting hours.

The overview: Last year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2753, which shifts Texas’ early voting window closer to election day, cutting out a three-day gap between the two voting periods and adding more Saturday and Sunday voting.

While the changes did not take effect immediately and were designed to help boost voter turnout, local election administrators said the law will also significantly raise costs for municipalities and delay the release of election results.

Election officials said the current three-day break allows staff to set up polling places for election day and prepare submitted ballots so results from early and mail-in voting can be released quickly after the polls close on election night.

The impact: Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth estimated that the shift would raise the cost of administering a large election by 30% and increase costs for smaller elections by 9%, due to personnel, equipment and voter education needs.