Madre Knows Best

At first glance, the menu at Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant seems stocked with the standard goods.

But even the basics at this new Jefferson Park restaurant hold surprises.

Huarachitos, tiny cornmeal cakes topped with tomatillo-jalapeño salsa, onion, cilantro and cotija cheese ($3.50), aren't exotic. But the miniature huarache base, lightly fried and salty, packs an unusually flavorful, savory punch.

The salsa recipe comes from the mother of chefs Malena Basave and Ana Arriaga, who ran a restaurant during their childhood in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The pickles that land on each table are hers, too--a simple but effective combination of vegetables, jalapeños, vinegar and herbs.

Another family secret: The puréed pickles make a killer marinade for tilapia destined for fish tacos ($10). After a good soak, the fish--now deeply flavored with the spicy brine--is breaded, pan-fried and served on supple homemade corn tortillas. The purée is also the sauce for tacos acorazados, a Cuernavaca specialty of thinly sliced breaded steak served with yellow rice, roasted potatoes and caramelized onions.

But the shrimp al ajillo ($17) defies tradition. The classic garlic-and-chile base is deepened with the rich flavor of pasilla peppers and cranberries cooked in red wine. The black-red sauce is a smoky-sweet coat for plump butterflied shrimp.

Clearly, Mama Arriaga raised her daughters right.

Mom's Old Recipe Mexican Restaurant, 5760 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-467-1009