For one of the city's best sandwiches, look to Ranas Mexico City

I’m not a big fan of making lists, but within a couple bites of this pambazo, my mind starts sifting through all the hot sandwiches I’ve tried in San Diego. Can I think of five better? In no particular order I come up with the Italian beef Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria, and the meatball sub at Poma's Italian Deli. It’s also easy to argue a Philly cheesesteak from Calozzi's belongs up there. And take your pick of any the spicy seafood options at SuperNatural Sandwiches.

But I can’t come up with a fifth, which means I consider this pambazo from Ranas Mexico City Cuisine to be among the top five hot sandwiches in San Diego.

What’s a pambazo? you might be asking. From what I gather, its name starts with a bread called pan basso, which loosely translates as “low class bread.” It’s a light, chewy bread with a thin crust.

But in terms of Mexico City street food, the pambazo sandwich elevates this bread by dunking it in a red sauce made from guajillo pepper, then frying it. The dried pepper, guajillo, brings with it earthy, smokey, and fruity flavors, lending a deep savor and mild heat to the bread, along with a bit of needed succulence. It can make the sandwich a little bit messy to eat, but spicy fingers are a welcome trade for something so delicious.

The traditional pambazo, available at Ranas, features potato and chorizo, a breakfast friendly combination, and distinct among sandwiches. However, plenty of other toppings are on the Ranas menu, including chicken and pork, and my personal favorite: carne asada $14). A little lettuce, sour cream, and cotija cheese on Ranas toasted torta roll, and you’ve got a sandwich worthy of the trip to this humble table service restaurant in Casa De Oro.

Okay, unless you live close by, it’s easy to go years living in San Diego without ever realizing there’s a neighborhood called Casa De Oro. Maybe because the “House of Gold” straddles toney Mount Helix and the northern edge of Spring Valley. Or because its commercial center — including the Post Office and public library — mainly consists of an unremarkable succession of 1970s-era shopping strips.

Ranas is the small shop with a cartoon frog peeking out from its sign (*rana means frog in Spanish). And it’s worth seeking out for much more than its exquisite sandwiches. Across the board, I’ve found delicious dishes here, including an assortment of moles, sizzling hot grilled meat platters, chilaquiles, another Mexico City mainstay: huaraches.

This antojito originates from other parts of Mexico, named for a type of sandal that shares its ovoid shape. It’s comparable to a pizza or tostada, in that it adds assorted toppings to a flatbread. In this case, it’s corn masa, formed into a thick, soft, more than foot-long tortilla, smeared with refried beans then dressed with shredded lettuce and crema.

Ranas makes breakfast huaraches that include scrambled eggs, but the lunch and dinner options stick to a variety of meats and meat/vegetable combos, including carne asada with nopales (cactus) and that familiar chorizo and potato pairing. I go for the entomatado ($15), which features satisfying chunks of roasted pork with cactus and two salsas: a green tomatillo sauce, and a spicy, dark red sauce made from arbol chilis.

That’s another thing to love about Ranas: not only do they make great sandwiches, but if you’re into it, they’re prepared to bring the heat.