The 401
FIRST PERSON
BY KAITLYN MURRAY
The shrimp scampi at Camille ’ s .
PHOTOGRAPH : KAITLYN MURRAY .
Hold the Sauce , Per Favore
A Rhode Islander with a tomato sauce allergy ( the horror !) shares her guide to Providence ’ s Italian-food forward Federal Hill .
W
HENEVER I TELL SOMEONE NEW that I can ’ t have tomato sauce , the conversation almost always plays out as follows . “ So , no pizza or pasta ? Wow , that ’ s awful . I am so sorry .” The sentiment is typically delivered with as much sincerity
— and pity — as if my dog had just died . “ Well , my cousin can ’ t have chocolate ,” I ’ ll quip back . “ So it could be worse .”
Yet for many born-and-bred Rhode Islanders , nothing could be worse . In fact , upon revealing that my body ’ s reaction to ingesting red sauce is akin to extreme food poisoning , a first date once joked that my allergy was a “ red flag .” No follow up plans were ever made , so it ’ s safe to say they weren ’ t joking . You might think that seems a tad dramatic , and normally I would be quick to agree
— but I also have to admit they aren ’ t totally off base .
Have you ever considered how often home-cooked-meal invitations around here ( Google says Rhode Island ’ s Italian population is nearly 20 percent ) involve crowd-pleasers like lasagna or spaghetti and meatballs ? Or how many kids serve pizza strips ( read : garlic bread slathered in a thick layer of marinara ) at their birthday parties ? Or the number of game day get-togethers and summer soirees that revolve around barbecue ? Locals literally call red sauce “ gravy ” because we can ’ t get enough on everything from pastas to proteins .
I was conditioned from a young age to always come to gatherings equipped with a PB & J or risk going home hungry . But , as you can imagine , BYO-sandwiches are frowned upon at most dining establishments . Over the years , I avoided osterias and trattorias the way most vegans steer clear of burger joints .
Then another thing I didn ’ t have on my bingo card happened : As I got older , white pizzas and other marinara alternatives started to catch on . So much so that many of my friends not only embraced , but encouraged , the splitting of a chicken bacon ranch-style pizza over a classic cheese . To this day , I need to arrive promptly to the office pizza party for fear I will forfeit all the red-sauceless-slices to my coworkers .
Still , by the time I moved to Federal Hill last year , many were surprised to learn that my answer to “ Where ’ s your favorite place to eat on the Hill ?” was to admit I hadn ’ t been to any of the heavyweights . ( I know , sacrilege for a Rhode Islander .) But then one night a friend cocked their head to the side and said , “ You know Italian restaurants serve other things , right ?”
And so began my foodie tour , dietary restriction be damned . I ’ ve had some good eats over the last few months , and I thought there may be others who could also benefit from my findings . So , whether you suffer from a physical limitation — acid reflux ? — or a nonsensical allergy like mine ( hi , please be my friend ?), or just don ’ t like red sauce ( don ’ t worry , I won ’ t tell Nonna ), here ’ s a quick guide to avoiding the stuff — including pomodoro , pink vodka and “ gravy ” varieties — on the Hill .
RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY I MARCH 2025 33