Mari Vilardo (with scissors) marks her Chubby Cupboard artisan pasta shop’s fifth anniversary with a Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) – In 2021, Mari Vilardo became an accidental businesswoman.

With slow-healing injuries from a fall at the Sacramento restaurant where she worked, the cook needed a job that required less standing. “I was desperate to pay my rent,” said the Bay Area native. 

Italian heritage conveniently kicked in. 

“I’d been making pasta with my mom and Godmother since I was eight,” she explained. “I thought, maybe I can do this for a living. I started selling at weekend farmers’ markets and business snowballed. Now, my pasta is in grocery stores and at last, I have my own bricks-and-mortar shop.” 

Culinary artist Mari Vilardo offers Italian treats at her Fair Oaks Boulevard store.

Tucked between a nail salon and apartments at Fair Oaks and Sutter, Chubby Cupboard is a hidden Carmichael gem. Regulars pop by for roasted garlic spaghetti, chili Calabrian, hand-rolled lemon Campanelli pasta and freshly made sauces. Some bring lemons from their own trees to ensure the cook never runs out of juice.

“The community’s been supportive,” Vilardo confirmed. “Customers last year voted me Best of Carmichael (specialty retail). Many of them come to my pasta-making classes. We started this business during COVID, so it was trial by fire. After five years, happily, we’ve survived.”

With support from parents Lizz and Bill Morgan and a flock of clucking egg-providers she calls “my girls”, Vilardo’s Chubby Cupboard is a true family business. “I owe everything to my family,” said the 33-year-old. “My mother and Godmother didn’t just teach me cooking; they taught me to love it.

Mari Vilardo (center) and friends celebrate her pasta store in Carmichael. Civic resolutions are presented by Lane Gonick, (rep. for Assemblyman Josh Hoover), Kendra Johnson (rep. for Supervisor Rich Desmond), Mika Klinsmann (rep. for Senator Roger Niello) and Carmichael Honorary Mayor Mike Rockenstein.

“Mom helped me buy equipment I dearly needed to establish my business.  If she wants something from my stock, she insists on paying full price.  When we found this store, my father helped me do all the renovations.”

With culinary and business school degrees and a wine certification, Mary Vilardo is equipped to teach her art. Small classes fit snugly in her workspace; students always go home with something delicious. “There are lots of pasta-making videos they could watch,” said the instructor. “But there’s nothing like learning from a hands-on teacher.”

Vilardo considers fresh produce the most vital of pasta ingredients. “We cook like the Italians do,” she explained.  “Using local produce makes a tangible difference. The other element is my love for sharing my culture and family with this community.”

The Chubby Cupboard is located at 7305 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael. Learn about the store at www.thechubbycupbaord.com