Krebs, OK

Krebs is a Pittsburg County town with coal-mining roots and an Italian food tradition that outlasted the mines. The first local mine opened in 1875, and immigrants from Italy, Ireland, England, Mexico, and elsewhere built a multi-ethnic mining community around the works. Today, the Krebs Heritage Museum, St. Joseph's Church, Pete's Place, and Lovera's Grocery keep those layers visible. Three miles east of McAlester, Krebs is the kind of place where a mining past shows up at the dinner table.