El Molino Mexican Restaurant in Carpentersville may have a new look, but the new owners plan is to keep its traditions alive while adding touches of their own. “This place is too special for me. We’ve been hearing stories from returning customers about how much El Molino has meant to them,” co -owner Lorena Zepeda said. Zepeda’s husband Miguel Diaz, who owns the restaurant with her, said those stories include tales of first dates, marriage proposals, post-funeral Mass meals and other significant life events that took place there over the last 41 years. New decor touches at El Molino Mexican Restaurant in Carpentersville include paintings of the Virgin Mary and an angel, seen here, and a wall adorned with cowboy hats. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) Gustavo Soto opened El Molino (“The Mill” in Spanish) at 2112 Elgin Road in March 1984, converting what had been a Dog N Suds into what most likely was Carpentersville’s first Mexican restaurant. Zepeda and Diaz have been in the restaurant business for a long time too. They and Zepeda’s parents, Juan and Mary Zepeda, own and operate Taqueria Chapala, which has been open at 901 N. Liberty St. in Elgin for more than 16 years. Zepeda said her parents met and fell in love decades ago while working at what is now Masi’s Pizza in Carpentersville. Over the years, Zepeda said her father became friends with Soto. Earlier this year he learned that Soto, who closed El Molino in April to remodel it, had instead decided to retire instead and was looking for a buyer. “There’s so much history here. He wanted to sell to someone who would appreciate and continue that history,” Zepeda said. The old pergola over the bar remains as part of the remodeled El Molino Mexican Restaurant in Carpentersville, which has new owners but the same recipes. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) So in June, Zepeda and Diaz bought the business and continued renovating pretty much the entire interior. They held a soft opening in mid-November and a grand opening on Nov. 25. “Everything is brand new but the (pergola) over the bar, which we kept to honor the El Molino history, and the front doors, which we are going to replace,” Diaz said. The couple imported tables, chairs, furniture, lighting fixtures and artwork from Mexico to update El Molino’s look. Artwork includes paintings of the Virgin Mary, an angel and a La Catrina (skeleton in a dress). One wall is adorned with rows of cowboy hats with a saddle standing next to it. A book about Mariachi music rests on a table near the front doors. Zepeda said she plans to occasionally feature Mariachi performers and other types of musicians playing for diners. She’s also working to add El Molino memorabilia to the decor. As for the menu, Zepeda said it currently features Soto’s recipes, which focuses on cuisine found in central Mexico. That includes past favorites such as Tampiqueña- and Oaxaqueña-style skirt steaks and enchiladas de mole. El Molino’s original chef Paulino Maldonado is also assisting in the kitchen, Zepeda said, and other staff has stayed on too. Her mother has tweaked the recipe for mole and contributed other suggestions for the food prep, all the while still helping the family run Taqueria Chapala in Elgin. Menu items at the newly reopened El Molino in Carpentersville include chicken enchiladas de mole, left, and Tampiqueña-style skirt steak with Mexican fries, a tamale and guacamole. Both dishes come with beans and rice. (Mike Danahey/The Courier-News) “My mother is the secret behind everything. She’s the boss,” she said. Zepeda would like to add more of her own family’s touches to El Molino’s menu, which will reflect roots in Mazamitla, a town in the state of Jalisco, particularly recipes incorporating grilled chicken, for which Taqueria Chapala is known. El Molino’s hours are 2 to 10 p.m. daily. Down the road, Zepeda said she would like to open at 7 a.m. to serve breakfast and lunch. Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News. ...read more read less