Guilty Pleasure

Jamie Antignano is the owner of the century-old family restaurant, Angelo’s Civita Farnese (or known simply as Angelo’s), on Federal Hill. Before taking over the family business, Jamie’s career began as an allocation analyst at TJX, a multinational off-price fashion business in Boston. Reflecting on her past, she described the uptight and health-conscious lifestyle she maintained during her corporate tenure, where she felt that appearance played a crucial role in career advancement.

The transition from the fashion industry to the restaurant business marked a pivotal shift in her life. Running the century-old family establishment for six years, she detailed a transformative journey that initially involved commuting from Boston, waking up at 4 am for a two-hour boxing session, and operating the restaurant seven days a week. This demanding routine persisted for nearly two years until burnout prompted her to reassess her approach to work and well-being.

As a self-described Type A perfectionist, Jamie acknowledged the journey of relinquishing control over certain aspects of her life, and a noteworthy example of this transformation is her relationship with food.

“I used to live in our company’s salad bar and meal-prepped a lot when I was in Boston.”

When asked about her current guilty pleasure, Jamie smiled.

“I am so into melted cheese, so I would say our eight-layered lasagna is my guilty pleasure. It’s something that I feel like I shouldn’t be eating, but I will do it anyway,” Jamie said. “Plus, we make it from scratch so that I would feel less guilty about it.”

Since she took over Angelo’s, her perception of food has evolved from a functional necessity into a rich representation of Italian heritage, history, culinary expertise and food science. An illustrative example of this perspective is the iconic meatballs and French fries at Angelo’s, which originated during the Great Depression. Jamie explained that, at that time, people couldn’t afford abundant food, and this innovative combination became a sustaining option. Similarly, she pointed to the prevalence of potatoes during the Irish immigration, emphasizing their affordability and widespread use.

“There is so much more history rooted in our dishes than just a bowl of pasta,” she said.

Julia Broome owns Kin Southern Kitchen & Bar in downtown Providence. She and I sat down together on a sunny autumn afternoon to talk about her guilty pleasures.

“It could be a bowl of Lucky Charms, or chocolate-dipped strawberries from Godiva,” she said. “I used to buy a box of those at the mall after school. They’re guilty pleasures because my mom would ask why I was spending so much money on them.”

Raised in a culinary environment shaped by the fusion of soul food, Julia’s roots stretch from Virginia to upstate New York. Late-night cravings and guilty pleasures inspire Julia’s recipes, whether it’s the simplicity of potato salad or the heartiness of mac ’n’ cheese; each menu item reflects a connection to her Black cultural heritage and communal experiences.

In terms of the restaurant’s specialties, Julia’s menu includes modern interpretations of classic soul food. She admitted that the menu is not the most vegan-friendly because soul food in the past was made from scraps, the fattiest parts of the meat.

“I think, for us, soul food started as the complete opposite of guilty pleasure,” she said. “Back in the early 1800s of American history, most Black people were enslaved, and we were given scraps of meat that our masters didn’t want to eat. A guilty pleasure for us was a good cut of meat or things that were expensive. So, that’s why I think money is tied to indulgence.”

At the end of our conversation, Julia said that the invisible societal pressure of telling women what to eat comes from colonialism.

“Although people nowadays are more open to non-proportionate bodies, which is how most of the Black people were built, beauty standards are always changing,” Julia said. “I am just trying to be me, trying to be the healthiest version of myself.”

Angie DiMeo, co-founder of Providence-based East Side Cheese & Provisions, is a petite woman given to running around the shop to help customers find the perfect triple-creme brie.

She recounted her surprise at a recurring remark, offered as a compliment: “How can someone working in a cheese shop maintain a slender figure?” Angie further explained that many female customers refer to the shop as “dangerous,” describing the irresistible allure of its decadent cheese, chocolate candies and nuts.

“Dangerous makes it sound like you shouldn’t have too much, or even avoid it because you might lose control,” Angie said. “But for me, it’s about quantity and balance.”

Exploring her dietary environment growing up, Angie revealed that her mom restricted food by dieting, and used to try SlimFast to attain an “attractive” physique. This image instilled a notion in Angie at a young age that carbs and fat were bad.

“Now I don’t like labeling food as good or bad. I think there’s just food that gives you quicker energy while other foods provide more sustainable energy,” Angie said. “The language of ‘this food makes me fat’ is problematic because it shows that society still appraises thinness.”

Angie concluded with insights into guilty pleasures, admitting to an indulgence in sweets, particularly Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The guilt stems from the awareness of overconsumption, tying back to the recurring theme of moderation.

“I don’t deny myself. However, the guilt sneaks in when I overeat sweets at the end of the day because it affects my sleep quality,” Angie said.

Now entrenched in the cheese industry and connected with enthusiasts and professionals, Angie shared the joy derived from treating oneself to various experiences, highlighting a shift towards holistic well-being beyond societal norms. She acknowledged that life holds bigger pursuits than focusing solely on the body and denying our desires.

Irene Chung is an illustrator from Taipei, now based in New York City. She has also made her home in Providence, where she received a Master of Fine Arts in Illustration degree from the Rhode Island School of Design. Find her on Instagram@irenechung.art.