A Culinary History of Pittsburg County: Little Italy, Choctaw Beer and Lamb Fries

Long before the era of the foodie, the little coal-mining town of Krebs set the standard for celebrating food in Oklahoma. Its reputation as the Sooner State’s Little Italy began in the mid-1870s when Italian immigrants chased the coal boom to Pittsburg County, deep in the heart of the Choctaw Nation. After 150 years, Italians and Choctaw neighbors are now bound by pasta, homemade cheeses and sausages and native beer once brewed illegally in basement bathtubs and delivered by children from door to door. Stop by for a steak at GiaComo’s, a Choc at Pete’s Place, lamb fries at the Isle of Capri, gnocchi at Roseanna’s or a gourd of caciocavallo at Lovera’s–venues that have proven impervious to time and hardship. Join Food Dude Dave Cathey on a tour through this colorful and delicious history.