Di Rienzo's Grocery

Di Rienzo's started feeding people almost by accident. When sewer construction tore up Beech Street and made it hard for shoppers to reach the little family grocer, the family answered with prepared food — sandwiches built to order across the same counter that sold deli meats, cheeses, and Italian staples. The improvisation stuck. Decades on, the grocery in Ottawa's Little Italy is known less for what sits on its shelves than for what comes off that counter: the famous Di Rienzo sandwich, ordered by number and carried back out the door.

The order most regulars reach for is the Classic Italian Sandwich #14 — soppressata Calabrese, extra-hot capicollo, prosciutto cotto, and Havarti, with lettuce and mayo holding it together. The #16 turns up the heat with hot capicollo, provolone, and mustard. Past the numbered classics, the custom builds carry the family's fingerprints. The Paradise di Paolo stacks mortadella, salami, and capicollo under provolone and olive oil; Alexi's Diavolo runs hot capicollo and soppressata against spicy Havarti and marinated eggplant; Il Giardino di Eva drops the meat entirely for eggplant, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Spicy pickled eggplant is the topping the counter is quietly known for, and the choose-your-own path means no two orders have to match.