In celebration of Women’s History Month, I am spotlighting a culinary trailblazer who’s adding her own special flavor to Rhode Island’s food scene. On Hope Street in Providence, something extraordinary is happening. Chef Milena Pagán, the vibrant force behind Little Sister restaurant, is cooking up more than just delicious food — she’s serving heritage, independence, and a hearty side of female empowerment.
From Corporate Spreadsheets to Culinary Spreads
Milena’s journey to becoming one of Providence’s most distinctive restaurateurs wasn’t exactly traditional. After arriving in Rhode Island in 2013 to work at CVS Health, she spent three and a half years in corporate America before realizing something was missing. “When I grew dissatisfied with the corporate culture and knew that I wasn’t going to be able to fit into it in a way that was authentic to me, I quit that job, and I had already been thinking about going into the food business.” That bold move led to her first venture — Rebel, a bagel shop — before eventually creating Little Sister, a restaurant that truly reflects her identity. “I wanted to show the community in Providence my identity as a Puerto Rican woman,” she explains. “That’s how I started Little Sister.”
Cooking Up Independence Since Age Six
For Milena, food has always been more than sustenance, it’s been freedom. “I was always interested in food ever since I was little. I have a lot of very vibrant memories of cooking as young as six years old,” she recalls. “What I loved about cooking at a young age was that it gave me the skills to care for myself and made me independent, which was very important for me growing up.” That early relationship with cooking evolved into a lifelong passion, though her path took a fascinating detour. Despite considering culinary school, her academic prowess earned her a full scholarship to MIT. The engineer-turned-chef laughs as she reflects, “I told myself if it’s in the cards for me at some point, I will circle back to my passion in one way or another.” Circle back she did, and with a philosophy that hasn’t changed: “cooking still gives me a sense of independence. I have full confidence that by cooking, I’m always gonna be able to provide for myself.”
A Plate Full of Heritage
Walk into Little Sister, and you’re not just experiencing a meal — you’re taking a cultural journey guided by Milena’s Puerto Rican roots and boundless curiosity. “I would say that my personal history, culture, and heritage influences my cooking a lot; I try to center my experiences, my culture, and the history of my people not so much around my personal history but the history of who came before me,” Milena adds. This storytelling takes deliciously tangible forms: Almojábanas (rice and cheese fritters) with Spanish and Arabic influences, elegantly prepared chicken gizzards that challenge American food taboos, and brunch offerings with distinctly Puerto Rican touches.
The Women’s Touch in Culinary History
Ask Milena about food’s role in women’s history, and she offers a perspective as rich as her cooking. “Food is sort of like history in motion — unfolding,” she says thoughtfully. “Recipes are adapted based on what’s available or based on the economy… Food absorbs all influences that touch it. I think food is maybe the most complete record of culture you could ever have.” Women, she notes, have historically been the primary keepers of this living cultural archive: “Women perhaps have an outsized role in preserving culture through food because they’re the ones passing it on. We talk all the time about, ‘Did you learn this recipe from your mom or grandma?’ We don’t talk very often about, ‘Did your dad cook this for you growing up?'”
Creative Kitchen Alchemy
One of Milena’s most charming traits is her creative resourcefulness. When designing new dishes, she often starts from unexpected places. “Sometimes the starting point is more utilitarian, like I have this byproduct… or part of an ingredient that’s going to waste,” she explains, revealing her sustainability mindset. This approach manifests in clever creations like her French toast: “Instead of making bread and slicing bread slices like literally everybody else, we take all the ends of the bread and yeasted pastries that don’t get sold, cube it all up, make a form of bread pudding in a loaf pan, slice that, and then that gets griddled.” The result? A delicious dish with zero waste and 100% creativity.
Breaking Through the Kitchen’s Glass Ceiling
Despite her success, Milena doesn’t sugarcoat the challenges women face in the culinary world. When she started in 2017, there was momentum for women chefs in Providence, but she’s witnessed that energy diminish. “Some of the women that I came up with are no longer even in the industry,” she notes. “In times of hardship and economic uncertainty, people are much less willing to take a chance on women.” The double standards are tangible: “If you go to a bank to get financing to expand your restaurant as a woman, there better be a man beside you in the room. I’ve certainly had to include a man in the room just to be taken seriously.” Her assessment is blunt but important: “The bar has been set so high that it is impossible to meet the bar, and I say this as a lifelong overachiever.”
The Future Menu: Equal Opportunities
When asked about her vision for women in the culinary world, Milena keeps it straightforward: “My hopes are essentially the same as for everybody else. I just wish for some sense of equality. It’s a shame that something like one-fourth of the restaurants in Rhode Island are led by women when clearly we make up half of the population.” Until that equality arrives, she’ll keep cooking, creating, and clearing the path for other women. In her kitchen, there’s always room for more seats at the table. For Milena Pagán, women’s history isn’t just something to celebrate in March — it’s something she’s helping write every day, one delicious dish at a time. •
You can find Recipe Developer & Content Creator Courtney Hamann on her insta, @rhodetogoodfood
