Omaha has long been a city of immigrants. The Irish and Germans arrived in the 1860s to work for the railroads and later in meatpacking plants. South Omaha seemed to be the melting pot of the city, with Eastern Europeans finding their way to the city in the late 1800s. But, it seems like Italian immigrants have had a major influence on the culinary scene.

Arriving during the 1890s, Italians quickly impacted the food scene, with neighborhood markets that later transitioned into restaurants. Congregating in a small area in southeastern Omaha, the area near 10th and Pierce Streets became known as Little Italy. While the neighborhood isn’t quite the same as it was in the early 20th century, the Italian influence on Omahans’ taste buds remains strong.