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The Monarch — the long-awaited luxury hotel at Hemisfair — is now open, and with it comes Aleteo, a Yucatán-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant.

The latest: I checked out Aleteo during a preview weekend and was impressed — not just with the food, but with the level of hospitality that elevates it beyond just another hotel restaurant.

The vibe: Led by executive chef Jae H. Lee, the rooftop oasis balances beachy chill with upscale elegance. The menu features steak, chicken, ceviche and more.

It boasts panoramic views of downtown San Antonio, with the Tower of the Americas and the Tower Life Building in clear focus.

The service is attentive and thoughtful, even ready with a quick fix when a splash of sauce lands on your outfit.

What to try: Start with the Gulf catch ceviche ($20). Juicy shrimp and red snapper sit in a bed of coconut leche de tigre. The coconut milk adds a subtle sweetness and creaminess without overpowering the fish or the garlic.

The grilled whole sea bream ($37) is another standout. I was a bit apprehensive about ordering a whole fish, but it arrived beautifully butterflied and nestled over a layer of chili oil.

It was buttery and flaky, topped with a crunchy cabbage slaw for balance. I added some of the leftover salsa macha from the salsa trio experience ($15), and it took the dish to another level.

Three images: dish with tortilla, purple cabbage, lime slice in sauce; rooftop bar with butterfly-patterned ceiling and city skyline at sunset; table with guacamole, chips, seafood ceviche, and drinks.

The whole fish, views and ceviche. Photos: Madalyn Mendoza/Axios

What's next: Oak & Amber, the hotel's signature restaurant — billed as a Texas-style steakhouse — is also now open. 

We'll let you know once we've had a chance to try it.

The bottom line: From what I've seen so far, Aleteo is the cherry on top of what could become a new favorite destination for San Antonio's going-out crowd.

And if you're lucky enough to be seated in Bailey's section, you're in for a real treat. As our server, she embodied the kind of hospitality that makes dining out feel special — attentive without hovering and genuinely enthusiastic about the menu.

Aleteo is the cherry on top of The Monarch San Antonio

Aleteo boasts great downtown views, food and hospitality.

Stylish rooftop restaurant at dusk with large windows showing city skyline, trees with hanging lanterns, warm lighting, wooden tables, chairs, and a well-stocked bar.

Pro tip: Plan your reservation around sunset. Photo: Courtesy of The Monarch

The Monarch — the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="long-awaited luxury hotel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/11/12/the-monarch-opening-san-antonio-hemisfair" data-vars-content-id="0324d57c-acf0-44d8-889f-38bd771ec431" data-vars-headline="Aleteo is the cherry on top of The Monarch San Antonio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2025/11/12/the-monarch-opening-san-antonio-hemisfair" target="_self">long-awaited luxury hotel</a> at Hemisfair — is now open, and with it comes Aleteo, a Yucatán-inspired rooftop bar and restaurant.The latest: I checked out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Aleteo" data-vars-click-url="https://themonarchsa.com/aleteo" data-vars-content-id="0324d57c-acf0-44d8-889f-38bd771ec431" data-vars-headline="Aleteo is the cherry on top of The Monarch San Antonio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://themonarchsa.com/aleteo" target="_blank">Aleteo</a> during a preview weekend and was impressed — not just with the food, but with the level of hospitality that elevates it beyond just another hotel restaurant.

Food and Drink

Read Across America — the National Education Association's annual celebration — kicks off Monday with schools and libraries hosting read-aloud sessions and literacy events throughout the week.

Zoom in: We asked the San Antonio Public Library for its most popular titles of 2025, offering a snapshot of what locals have been reading. 

 "Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess" by Jeff Kinney

"Great Big Beautiful Life" by Emily Henry

"The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt

"The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster" by Mo Willems

"Sunrise on the Reaping" by Suzanne Collins

Here's what San Antonio bookworms have been into lately

We asked the San Antonio Public Library for its most popular titles.

Illustration of a book smiling and reading another book. 

Read Across America — the National Education Association&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="annual celebration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america" data-vars-content-id="090a5d0d-2c50-4695-a2f7-e9f478c3f937" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s what San Antonio bookworms have been into lately" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/read-across-america" target="_blank">annual celebration</a> — kicks off Monday with schools and libraries hosting read-aloud sessions and literacy events throughout the week.Zoom in: We asked the San Antonio Public Library for its most popular titles of 2025, offering a snapshot of what locals have been reading.

News

Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of San Antonio are seeing increased interest from families as Texas' voucher program gets underway — but funding doesn't mean unlimited seats.

Why it matters: The new Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) could reshape who can afford private schooling, but access ultimately depends on school capacity. 

Zoom out: State officials report more than 130,000 TEFA applications were submitted statewide since the window opened Feb. 4.

By the numbers: All 35 Catholic campuses in the San Antonio archdiocese are participating in the voucher program.

Together, they now serve about 9,000 students, with an average 15-to-1 student-teacher ratio.

Zoom in: Archdiocese recruitment and outreach manager Liliana Gutierrez tells Axios principals are seeing increased inquiries and some schools are reaching capacity in specific grades months ahead of the norm.

"Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to accept everybody with a voucher. We need to make sure that we're growing at a pace that everyone's comfortable with," Gutierrez says. "We don't anticipate to have 30 students in each classroom next year, but there will be some growth."

Applying for TEFA does not guarantee admission. Families must still complete each school's admissions process and are encouraged to stay in close contact with admissions teams while awaiting award decisions.

Between the lines: There are no new archdiocese-wide caps tied to TEFA. Enrollment decisions remain campus-based, guided by classroom space and staffing, Gutierrez says.

How it works: The Texas Education Agency set the 2026–27 voucher amount at $10,474 per student, which is 85% of the statewide average public school funding per child.

For most K–8 students in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, vouchers are expected to cover full tuition. At the high school level, the vouchers cover most — but not all — tuition costs, Gutierrez says.

What they're saying: Gutierrez says the goal is to be "able to serve a more diverse range of families without losing who we are."

The voucher program comes with financial and academic oversight, but Gutierrez stressed that "we have full autonomy over our schools, still, over admissions, over everything."

The other side: The Texas State Teachers Association has criticized the program as costly and discriminatory, arguing it diverts taxpayer dollars from public schools.

What's next: TEFA applications close March 17. Award decisions will be sent in early April.

Texas school vouchers boost demand at Catholic schools

Texas' new voucher program doesn't guarantee a Catholic school seat.

Illustration of a pencil stylized as a church steeple with a large cross on top. 

Catholic schools across the Archdiocese of San Antonio are seeing increased interest from families as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Texas&#x27; voucher program" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/02/03/apply-texas-school-vouchers" data-vars-content-id="40042b8a-3994-44f1-814f-bb824802b8f6" data-vars-headline="Texas school vouchers boost demand at Catholic schools" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/02/03/apply-texas-school-vouchers" target="_self">Texas&#x27; voucher program</a> gets underway — but funding doesn&#x27;t mean unlimited seats.Why it matters: The new Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) could reshape who can afford private schooling, but access ultimately depends on school capacity.

Education

Dallas

Axios Dallas

Data: Texas Secretary of State; Chart: Axios Visuals

Democratic primary turnout in Latino hubs across Texas surged, while GOP turnout slumped, suggesting some Texas Latinos have turned away from the Republican Party.

Why it matters: The results could signal a renewed interest in Democratic candidates in the fall general election after many voters along the Texas-Mexico border and in other Latino-majority areas shifted to the right just two years ago, experts tell Axios. 

State of play: Democratic participation across Texas this year was highest among the past three primaries — but it was even higher in the state's 64 Latino-majority counties.

Turnout in Latino-majority areas across the state was up by 4 percentage points compared to the last midterm Democratic primary in 2022 and more than 1 percentage point higher than in 2024, a presidential election year. 

And while Republican turnout surpassed Democratic turnout in Latino counties in 2024, it lagged far behind Democratic turnout this year.

Zoom in: The Latino-majority counties include Bexar County, home to San Antonio, as well as Nueces County, home to Corpus Christi, and all border counties.

Latinos make up more than 25% of registered voters in Texas, per the Latino civil rights organization UnidosUS.

What they're saying: "This is historic. We believe that we're going to look back at the end of this cycle and determine that the Democratic primary turnout (in Texas) is going to be the turning point in American politics," says Rafael Collazo, senior political director at UnidosUS, which is a frequent critic of the Trump administration. 

UT–Rio Grande Valley political scientist Álvaro Corral described the primary in South Texas as a "backlash."

Latinos who voted for Trump in 2024 are now frustrated with the rising cost of living, immigration enforcement and foreign policy — including the Iran war, he tells Axios. 

Context: A recent Pew Research Center Survey found deepening pessimism and heightened fears among Latinos in the U.S.

Between the lines: The high-profile Democratic U.S. Senate race between state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) also drew strong interest. And while Trump wasn't on the ballot, he had an effect on voters, Collazo says.

"They don't like what they're seeing. That's giving them more incentive to have their voice heard in the ballot box," he says.

What's next: Corral suggested the Rio Grande Valley's recent rightward shift might have been "a sort of Trump effect."

November could offer the first real test of that theory, when Trump isn't on the ballot.

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Latino turnout surges in Dem primary in Texas, testing GOP gains

Democratic participation across Texas was highest among the past three primaries — but it was even higher in Latino-majority counties.

A grouped bar chart showing Texas primary election voter turnout for Democrats and Republicans from 2022 to 2026. For Democrats, statewide turnout increased from 6.3% in 2022 to 11.9% in 2026, with majority-Latino county turnout rising from 9.0% to 13.1%. Republicans showed a slight decrease from 11

Democratic primary <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="turnout" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/03/03/democratic-early-voting-turnout-texas" data-vars-content-id="8e4e7fdb-5511-4575-bdfa-2b70529a4164" data-vars-headline="Latino turnout surges in Dem primary in Texas, testing GOP gains" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/03/03/democratic-early-voting-turnout-texas" target="_self">turnout</a> in Latino hubs across Texas surged, while GOP turnout slumped, suggesting some Texas Latinos have turned away from the Republican Party.Why it matters: The results could signal a renewed interest in Democratic candidates in the fall general election after many voters along the Texas-Mexico border and in other Latino-majority areas <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="shifted to the right" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/26/trump-harris-latino-voters-2024-election-pew" data-vars-content-id="8e4e7fdb-5511-4575-bdfa-2b70529a4164" data-vars-headline="Latino turnout surges in Dem primary in Texas, testing GOP gains" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/26/trump-harris-latino-voters-2024-election-pew" target="_self">shifted to the right</a> just two years ago, experts tell Axios.

2024 will be an election year like no other, as President Biden seeks re-election amid economic uncertainty, two wars and questions about his age. His likely foe, former President Trump, faces felony charges and vows revenge on his political enemies. Meanwhile, Americans generally are dissatisfied with those choices and are divided over immigration, race, education and more.

Politics & Policy

Politics

Texas voters cast primary ballots for Republican and Democratic candidates in eight non-judicial statewide races. In races where no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff.

Here are the results of each race, per AP and unofficial vote tallies: 

Texas state Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Dallas) in the Democratic primary.

On the Republican side, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are headed to a runoff.

Gov. Greg Abbott and state Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) will face off in November after each cruised to primary victories. Abbott is seeking a fourth term.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick easily won the Republican nomination to seek a fourth term.

Meanwhile, state Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin) had 48.1% of the votes and was leading against Marcos Isaias Vélez (31.6%) for the Democratic nomination as of 5:30am.

State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston and U.S. Rep. Chip Roy from outside Austin are headed for a runoff in the Republican race.

On the Democratic side, state Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) was headed to a runoff as of 5:30am with either former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski or Dallas attorney Tony Box.

Former state Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas) won the Republican nomination, easily beating acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock and two others. 

He faces state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt (D-Austin) in the general election.

Benjamin Flores won the Democratic nomination for land commissioner. Incumbent Republican Dawn Buckingham ran unopposed. 

Rancher Nate Sheets was leading Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who was seeking a fourth term, and declared victory late Tuesday in the Republican primary.

Clayton Tucker ran unopposed on the Democratic side.

Former chair of the Tarrant County Republican party Bo French and incumbent Jim Wright are headed for a runoff in the Republican primary. 

State Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D-Houston) ran unopposed on the Democratic side.

Here's who won in Texas' statewide office races

Eight non-judicial statewide posts are on the ballot this November.

The Texas flag. Photo: Will Mallory/Baylor Athletics

Texas voters cast primary ballots for Republican and Democratic candidates in eight non-judicial statewide races. In races where no candidate received more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a May 26 runoff.Here are the results of each race, per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="AP" data-vars-click-url="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/texas-primary/" data-vars-content-id="996c8733-941c-4185-8316-c5851ee1e092" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who won in Texas&#x27; statewide office races" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/texas-primary/" target="_blank">AP</a> and unofficial <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="vote tallies" data-vars-click-url="https://goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/ivis-enr-ui/races" data-vars-content-id="996c8733-941c-4185-8316-c5851ee1e092" data-vars-headline="Here&#x27;s who won in Texas&#x27; statewide office races" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/ivis-enr-ui/races" target="_blank">vote tallies</a>:

Madalyn Mendoza

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Aleteo is the cherry on top of The Monarch San Antonio

Here's who won in Texas' statewide office races

Here's what San Antonio bookworms have been into lately