Pete's Place

This past weekend was a treat as my girlfriend and I traveled east towards Krebs, Oklahoma in search of a great Italian Restaurant. Our goal was to find a unique dining experience in a restaurant rich with culture and history, not to mention, great food. We certainly found what we were looking for when we pulled the Grey Ghost into Pete's Place!

My expectations were already high. I had done my history homework on Pete's long before our trip began, from researching their website, to reading the tales that come on the bottles of my favorite beer, Choc beer, which is brewed right there in Krebs in the brewery adjacent to the restaurant. I already knew that I was going to love this place! But, as anxious as I was, even I underestimated how extraordinary a trip this would turn out to be.

Sometime before 1925, an Italian immigrant named Pete Prichard hurt his leg in a mining accident. Looking for a way to support his family, Pete began making and serving Choc beer to thirsty miners in the area. Soon after, Pete starting making lunches in his home, and as his menu expanded, so did the clientele. Prichard added homemade wine to his menu as well as more entrees and officially opened Pete's Place in 1925. There are many stories that accompany this landmark, from serving Choc beer during prohibition, to a visit from the ambassador of Italy, as well as celebrities, politicians, war heroes and athletes.

The first thing I noticed as I stepped into the restaurant, was how unlike a restaurant it felt. The setup was actually more like a large house, which stands to reason as it is actually the original home of Pete Prichard and his family(although many additions have been made since). My party was immediately ushered to a small room, with one table, where menus were awaiting us. Right away, I loved the fact that we ate in true privacy, as the little room even had a door, to block out noise and add a sense of "at home" to our dinner. Our waitress arrived shortly after, a very kind young woman, who not only made us feel right at home, but was more than glad to share some of the history, stories and even pictures of Pete's Place.

We ordered our food and prepared ourselves for the wait. We could already smell the aroma of food that made it feel even more like we were at home. Our waitress quickly brought us an anti-pasta dish, a plate lined with muenster cheese, peppers and green olives, plus a salad with homemade Italian dressing and garlic bread. We had hardly made our salad plates when our door was opened again, with our waitress bringing in another plate, a large one, filled with made from scratch spaghetti, meatballs and ravioli all covered in a savory homemade tomato sauce. The food is all served family style, meaning large plates are presented, with utensils, so that patrons can get as little, or as much, as they would like.

Shortly thereafter, we were served our main course. I ordered lamb fries, slices of lamb from Iceland, cracker breaded and deep fried, while my girlfriend ordered shrimp alfredo, grilled shrimp and Alfredo sauce served over pasta. The amount, the quality, it was almost overwhelming! We ate what we could, sampling a little of everything, until we could not possibly enjoy another bite. Luckily, our waitress, ever attentive, offered us a "to go" box, which consisted of three Styrofoam boxes, chocked full, in a bag that I could have used as a suitcase. We finished our choc beer and sat at our table, still marveling about how a little restaurant, in a little town, could change our whole perception of how many establishments really put their customers first. Pete's Place puts its customers first, making you feel like you were invited over to an old friend's house, where folks gather and trade stories about themselves, over home cooked meals, where you get as much as you ask for, not just what you ordered.

When we finally decided to leave, our waitress brought us our ticket, along with a postcard, that we could fill out and drop in the basket up front of the restaurant or leave with her to mail. Pete's even covered the postage stamp! We shuffled out of our room, took a brief tour of the building, and made our way to the gift shop. My girlfriend purchased me a metal Choc beer sign, which is now proudly displayed in my office. As we were walking out, I felt something that surprised me-sadness. I was sad to leave Pete's Place, I already missed it, places like these are so few and far between, and in this world filled with get-in, get-out processed fastfood joints, Pete's stands out. Where you get more than you expected, where the staff is proud to work there, and the food is out of this world!

Pete's Place is located in Krebs, Oklahoma 1 mile east of Highway 69 on Highway 270. 918-423-2042