By Janelle Walker | Shaw Local
What makes their Mexican food special is where the recipes come from, said Lorena Zepeda.
Those recipes have been amassed over the years by her mother and grandmother and shared at the small eatery she’s run with her parents, Juan and Mary Zepeda, for the past 17 years in Elgin.
They now are taking those family recipes — and more — to El Molino in Carpentersville. They purchased the Mexican restaurant — a staple in the village for 40 years — in the spring. After a six-month remodel of the space at 2112 Elgin Road, just over the border from Algonquin, the restaurant reopened in late November.
Although the interior and some of the menu have changed, what it means to the community shouldn’t, Lorena Zepeda said.
“It is special for many people, it has history for many people. They had many beautiful experiences in this place,” celebrating their life events, she said.
When Gustavo Soto opened the restaurant at a former hot dog spot, it likely was one of the first Mexican restaurants in the village. He wanted to ensure that whoever bought it would remember that connection it has to the community, Lorena said.
The dining room at El Molino Mexican Restaurant on Dec. 23. The restaurant at 2112 Elgin Road, Carpentersville, recently reopened with new owners and an updated interior. | Janelle Walker/Shaw Local News Network
“He was so in touch with this place and he wanted to sell to somebody that would keep that history. He was also a good friend of my dad’s for a long time,” she said.
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