It sounds cliche but…expect the unexpected here
When I heard that a new restaurant concept opened up in the old location where The Dutch resided in the Williams Courtyard Center at Broadway and Rosemont, and that the owners operate one of my favorite taquerias in South Tucson, my immediate giddiness could not be contained. Mainly because it was mere blocks from the house.
At first glance of its name, anticipating that it would serve cuisine cumulating from areas south of our border, I read it as Comal. A comal, as you may or may not know, is a round cast iron pan used in kitchens across the entirety of South America and any and all cocinas here and abroad. But wait, that’s not an M, that’s a P. Copal?
Using Google translate, I was quick to discover that copal translated into English was…copal. Huh.
When I entered the neon fused yet somehow comfortably lit restaurant and was met by co-owner and cocktail director Alex Bohon, I had to ask about the name of his new place.
“Copal is the incense used during Day of the Dead,” Bohon explained. “It’s a really pleasing scent and we always burn one before lunch and dinner service. Its helps ward off evil spirits and inspire good times.”
At first glance of Copal, one is met with a sense of intimate invitation along with a cantina space due to the wellspring of agave bottles behind the bar. Along with the neon, which is delightfully subtle.
Alex, along with his dad Ramon, opened up Copal in July of this year (2024) riding on the success of their previous endeavor, Taqueria La Esquina, which was mentioned earlier as being a personal go to for delicious Mexican street food and probably some of the best churros I have ever had the pleasure to get acquainted with. You will too.
The first location the Bohon boys had their eye on was a spot of 4th Ave, a corner, yes, that is and was a revolving door of eateries and drinkeries that come and go all too frequently. So Alex and Ramon waited patiently until the right non-temporary residency opportunity arrived.
Not long after The Dutch shut its doors, the Bohon’s moved in and immediately knew that another taqueria concept in that area probably wouldn’t fly as well as it does on the corner of south 6th and Irvington.
“Tucson is saturated with Sonoran and Mexican cuisine that’s been Americanized”, Alex states. “So we took inspiration from several regions and fused them together to make one harmonious family of Mexican flavors.”
Copal’s original chef did not work out (like not at all, Alex notes) so it was time to get a seasoned and respected chef filled with bright ideas and knowledge of what Tucson likes to eat.
Joshua Richards, formerly of the Jackrabbit Lounge, came aboard and worked with the Bohons on a menu that will delight, invite and at times even incite challenge to what we know about Mexican food and dining.
First off, there are no chips and salsa served before your meal. That was something anyone can get anywhere Bohon and Richards determined. Secondly, no beans and rice on your plate. Once again, it’s been overdone and its another western influence they knew they had to move on from.
Copal is not set up for routine office parties or huge gatherings, as most cavernous Mexican restaurants are known for. Here, you sit with a loved one, or maybe two or three, quietly enjoying each other’s company and the savory food and sumptuous libations you are about to enjoy. Need a space for Brayden and Kayden’s birthday party? Yeah there’s a place a few blocks west of here that will take you.
The focus at Copal is a visceral ascension of dishes both familiar and completely unique.
Take for example the Salmon Al Xocolate. If you read that as ‘chocolate’ and then went right to ‘mole’, you have then been misdirected. The wild caught salmon is marinated in soy and sesame then seared with ancho chiles and coco nibs. But, no, it is not mole. Its something undeniably unto itself that needs to be experienced to be appreciated.
Its labeled an appetizer but the Camarones Chupate Los Dedos is a near formidable plate of butterflied shrimp, still in their shell, grilled then finished with a house special spicy sauce. Is it a little messy? A bit. Is it a little spicy. Oh sure. But is the full food adventure in the end worth it? Oh mucho si!
There are of course plenty of vegetarian options. For a new taste tingle, go for the Roasted Wild Mushroom Medly, a bowl stacked with locally grown mushrooms which are roasted in a stone oven and served with a honey citrus yogurt. It can easily be vegan if you omit the yogurt but, honestly, you’re going to want that yogurt. It pairs and excels the dish so nicely. But the mushrooms on their own are still amazing.
Copal is going to be the next formidable contender in the agave bar arena. Having tried their Tamarindo Paloma and Mexican Old Fashioned all I wanted to do was get up on that bar and perform some kind of heady cha cha. But Copal is a respectable environment so I just stuck to sipping while saying gracias.
Okay. Now here is where the day got even better, if not somehow complicated. Chef Joshua brought out their signature dessert: Elote Ice Cream. Shaped like an actual ear of corn, it’s a secret recipe vanilla flavored ice cream that is infused with cobs of freshly used corn. Yes. You heard correct. It may sound a bit odd but the second I took a bite I knew that I was invited to a party I was highly underdressed for. This was pure magic on a chilled plate. This is something that will not only bring everyone to the yard, but it will bring them to the endzone and then make a perfect kick for that extra point. Congratulations, you now have a new ice cream addiction.
“We are proud to call ourselves a no waste kitchen,” Richards proudly boasts. “Even discarding corn cobs seemed like a bad option. So I threw them in our ice cream and, well, there you go!”
With the experience of Taqueria La Esquina behind them, and the passion of Copal in front of them, Alex and Ramon Bohon are deliciously contributing to our fair city of gastronomy. So with a frosty agave cocktail in hand, and a belly full of innovative multi-regional fare in our bellies, all we can do is raise our glasses and proclaim salud!
Copal
5340 E. Broadway
Monday – Thursday: 11am – 9pm
Friday and Saturday: 11am – 10pm
Sunday: 11am – 8pm
instagram.com/copaltucson
Words and Photos by Mark Whittaker
yeahwritemark@gmail.com
520-861-4198
Yeah Write Mark 