Bites Nearby Celebrates Decades In Business: Clara’s Pasta

Young people sometimes agonize over their future career path. 

Rudy Melchiorre, Jr., never had that problem. 

Owning a restaurant was part of the family heritage in the Melchiorre family. Parents Clara and Rudolph, Sr., opened a carry-out restaurant called in Woodridge in 1987, and Rudy, a senior in high school, began working there.

“My parents worked hard - there was a lot of sacrifice and difficulty at the beginning,” Melchiorre said. Eventually a small seating area was added.

Clara was born and raised in an apartment over her parents’ tavern on the West Side of Chicago at Kedzie and Polk. She did her homework while sitting at the bar of the Kedzie Beer Garden — with occasional interruptions to refill a patron’s glass.

Her mother, Celeste, had developed a reputation for her ravioli and pizza, and later became famous as “Mama Celeste.”

Melchiorre has followed in the footsteps of his parents and maternal grandparents.

He now oversees operations for Clara’s. His parents retired in 2001, although Clara still stays involved in some aspects of the business.

Chef Carlos and his wife, Sylvia, have been with Clara’s since the beginning.

“Sylvia is the only one who makes the pasta fresh everyday,” Melchiorre explained.

And Carlos has a distinction as well. He is only one of three people who know the generations-old recipes for Clara’s tomato sauce, marinara and meatballs, and the most popular item, lasagna. 

The other two individuals are Rudy, Jr., and Clara of course.

General manager Paul Carver has been with Clara’s for 21 years, Melchiorre said.

In a previous Patch interview Carver alluded to his satisfaction working at Clara’s, saying that he “wouldn’t work anywhere else.”

Melchiorre calls the staff “family” and attributes their loyalty, consistency and use of fresh, homemade ingredients to Clara’s near quarter-of-a-century success.

He looks forward to expanding the restaurant in late spring, perhaps just in time for Clara's 25th anniversary on March 25.

“Quality is our niche,” said Melchiorre. “That, and we have really nice people serving great food at reasonable prices.”