Never Be Afraid to Try New Restaurants and Cuisines

Living or working near an authentic Italian deli means that a ready-made meal at any time of the day is only minutes away. Instead of grabbing some predictable fast food, you can stand at the counter of the shop, look at the available options, and order a sandwich that excites you and nourishes you. While you might fall into the habit of ordering the same sandwich each time, it can be fun to live on the edge a little by trying new toppings that you perhaps haven't previously eaten as part of a sandwich. Ideally, you'll find some new favorites that you can incorporate into your future orders. Here are some suggested unique toppings.

Pear

You might primarily think of pear as a nice fruit to munch on as a snack or dice into a fruit salad, but it can also be a valuable topping to your custom-built sandwich. Pear adds a nice combination of crunch and sweetness to a sandwich, and commonly pairs well with such fellow toppings as ham and Brie cheese. Together with mustard, you may have a sandwich that you're anxious to order again.

Avocado

You've likely eaten your share of avocados in salads, but you perhaps haven't tried this vegetable on a sandwich. A thinly sliced avocado is a welcome sandwich addition because of the creaminess it provides. And, because it's high in healthy fats, you don't have to be reluctant to eat it. In fact, you might wish to use avocado as an alternative to mayonnaise or similar sandwich spreads. Avocado's subtle taste means that it pairs well with many sandwich meats, but you might especially like it with turkey.

Pickled Eggplant

Especially common at Italian sandwich shops, pickled eggplant can be a welcome addition to the next sandwich you order. It has a soft texture that can blend into the sandwich, but the zesty pickled flavor is impossible to ignore. Many sandwich shops not only offer regular pickled eggplant, but also have spicy pickled eggplant on the menu. If you favor hot peppers on your sandwiches, change things up with some spicy pickled eggplant instead.

Mustard Greens

If you're lucky enough to come across a local sandwich shop that offers mustard greens as one of its topping choices, you may enjoy including this veggie in your next custom-build sandwich. Mustard greens look similar to lettuce, but have a pleasant mustard-like taste to them that can add a bit of spice and peppery notes to your sandwich.

Companies like Scittino's Italian Market Place are a great place to visit for your next take-out afternoon.