Here are four dining updates for the Lake Travis-Westlake area.

Schmidt Family Barbecue now closed in Bee Cave
After 12 years in the area, Schmidt Family Barbecue closed in the Bee Cave area in October.

• 12532 Bee Caves Road, Bee Cave

• 701 S. Capital of Texas Hwy., Ste. A-050, Austin

• 12815 Shops Parkway, Ste. 100, Bee Cave

• 5145 N. RM 620, Bldg. C, Austin

A virtual community event will be held Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. for members of the Travis County and Austin communities to provide input on a new wildfire preparedness plan.

The event is part of a community engagement effort to update the 2026 City of Austin/Travis County Community Wildfire Protection Plan, a collaborative document to address wildfire concerns that is updated every 10 years.  

The details: The community wildfire protection plan aims to identify risk areas, prioritize areas for wildfire mitigation funding and make recommendations for homeowners to reduce fire risk. At the Nov. 19 event, the public will be able to share ideas about wildlife prevention and identify risk areas. 

“It is also paramount that our community members take action themselves to prepare for these hazards and know what to do and where to go should their neighborhood need to evacuate,” Austin Emergency Management Director Jim Redick said in a Nov. 7 news release.

The Austin Empty Bowl Project is returning Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 to raise funds to support Central Texans facing food insecurity.

What to know: Since 1997, the project has hosted annual events where attendees purchase handcrafted bowls to enjoy soup in and proceeds benefit neighbors needing nourishing meals. The nonprofit has raised over $1.4 million since its launch, as stated in a news release.

Interested participants will have two chances to get involved with this year’s event:

Austin Empty Bowl Project Preview Party
Attendees can select a bowl of their choice, hors d’oeuvres, soup, bread, drinks and door prizes.

• Nov. 22, 6–9 p.m.
• $125 per person
• Central Texas Food Bank, 6500 Metropolis Drive, Austin

• Nov. 23, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
• $30 donation per person
• Central Texas Food Bank, 6500 Metropolis Drive, Austin

Here are the top Community Impact stories in the Austin area from Nov. 10-14.

1. Johnson Development planning 1,900-home community in Liberty Hill

2. Georgie’s restaurant in Georgetown serves up fresh seafood and cocktails

3. CI Foodie: Coffee, barbecue and more dining updates in Austin and nearby

4. Georgetown scraps Berry Creek Trail project due to resident feedback

5. Three Round Rock businesses slated for southwest corner of A.W. Grimes, E. Palm Valley boulevards

6. Proposed Skybox data center moves forward in Round Rock

Texas’ power grid will likely remain stable in December and January, recent reports from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas show. However, grid conditions could become tight if a winter storm hits large swaths of Texas, driving up demand for electricity.

The overview: ERCOT, which operates the electric grid for 90% of Texas, found in a Nov. 7 report that there should be “sufficient generating capacity available” to serve customers throughout January.

ERCOT forecasts that the tightest period this winter will be from 7-8 a.m. daily, when little to no solar power is being produced. During that time, ERCOT found the chances of a grid emergency are 1.81% in December and 1.4% in January.

More details: If a severe winter storm causes demand on the Texas grid to near record levels, there is a roughly 35% chance of a grid emergency in December and a less than 10% chance in January, ERCOT reported. Texans last experienced a grid emergency in September 2023, and the grid withstood three cold snaps in early 2025.