I used to loath mayo, but over time I've come to terms with it. However, I basically think of it as "sandwich glue" and use it minimally to hold my sandwich together. Especially a tomato sandwich. Mayo, tomato, salt, and pepper!

Being from the South, I love seeing you mention pear salad, even though it's disgusting lol. Another weird food in the South is a pineapple sandwich. Sliced pineapple and mayo between whitebread. It's not as terrible as you'd imagine.

Also, if you want a kick-ass grilled cheese, add mayo to outside of the bread instead of butter. Magnificent!