Jimmy's Food Store

This family-owned neighborhood convenience store has picked up where legendary Al's market – now closed – left off. In addition to a wide selection of imported, especially Italian, products, Jimmy's also stocks a lot of Asian foods, including sausages made by Nam sausage factory in Addison.

If you've ever tried to eat those fancy, 4-inch tall designer sandwiches on thick crusty bread stuffed with a half-dozen ingredients, you know they have a major design flaw: By the time you manage to wrap your mouth around the things and tear off a bite, most of the ingredients have fallen out the other end.

Not so with the two new panini on the sandwich list at Jimmy's Food Store.

Panini, which in Italy are small sandwiches, at Jimmy's are American-size, served on large, oval white rolls that are an excellent container for the generous stuffings.

The prosciutto and mozzarella panino has thick slices of fresh mozzarella layered with tomatoes, fresh basil and thinly sliced prosciutto. The tuna panino is a savory blend of tuna, capers and artichoke hearts drizzled with olive oil. After tasting it at home, we added a couple of slices of fresh tomato as a balance to the salty capers.

Another plus to using a big soft roll is that the sandwiches are easy to cut into smaller, more manageable pieces.

Cut into quarters, they'll make a quick party platter for a strenuous Sunday afternoon watching the Cowboys on TV.

Jimmy's is also known for its selection of Italian staples, such as pastas, cookies and condiments, as well as olives, meats and cheeses in the deli case.