This rare-find sandwich flies you direct to Italy | Highly Recommended

I don’t recall the first time I tasted broccoli rabe. My guess is that it was at a restaurant – and that its bitter, spicy flavor hit me the same pleasing way Italian radicchio and bitter negronis would later in life. My mother's side of the family hails from Campania, which might explain my attraction to such things.

Despite the name, broccoli rabe tastes nothing like broccoli and is more closely associated with the turnip and mustard greens than anything else. In Italy, it's simply known as rapini.

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Whenever I see it in the grocery aisle – which is far less often than is acceptable – I grab a bunch (here, it’s usually under the Andy-Boy label) so I can take it home and sautee it in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes. It’s a special treat for me, one I wish I treated myself to more often.

At Daylily – Jose Salazar’s deli and bodega in Columbia Tusculum – chef Abbie Romero sautees broccoli rabe before tossing it with minced garlic and sauteed onions. It's then mixed with smoked gouda, finished with an Italian vinaigrette and served on toasted wheat bread. It might sound odd to say, but sinking my teeth into this soft, cheesy sandwich reminds me of biting into a good slice of pizza. But in this case, its bitter, garlicky flavor recalls a country and a region I know only from a few visits, though it will be a part of me forever.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: This Daylily sandwich has serious Italian vibes | Highly Recommended