PSA: Please understand that in 99% circumstances in my posting, unless otherwise stated, is completely from my mind and not researched or fact checked in writing. Why? More than partly, it is laziness without doubt. However, I have checked this laziness against the benefit that follows.
– These are my genuine thoughts. Keeping in mind satire, jest, and sarcasm, this is what I genuinely think. Maybe not what I think is true, but what I think. Given my interests, education, and circumstances. At the time that these are posted, here is what I knew, or guessed. These are the assumptions and opinions in which I operate as an average person in this budding digital age. In the year 2025, I, am a man living in a western world with a job and family and otherwise ‘normal’ person. Normal being a lie. I am probably a top 1% wealthy individual throughout history. As a barely middle income, can’t afford a house, young career, student person. In terms of history, I have in terms of education, comfort, and money, more than most in history.

As I write this, I feel like the potential main character in a sci-fi novel. Waiting for my call to action, or whatever inciting incident kickstarts my hero’s journey. I also wonder if we are at the peak of society. Am I the last of my kind? The peak of our society. Is it downhill from here? Or will the trend continue. And more and more people will gain the level of privilege I attain. Albeit taken for granted.

And at this point you should be asking, given the title for this post, what the hell this has to do with a restaurant review?

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Brekki Brekki

I wanted to hate this place going in. And I have decided, I do.
Brekki Brekki is a new breakfast location in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. For the fortunately unacquainted with the ‘city’ butt up against Albuquerque I can only say that once you cross into Rio Rancho you see more red political signs, larger trucks, older people, more chains, more police, and more dirt lots. I hear the taxes and homes are a little cheaper over here. But ask anyone (other than a resident, who will claim they hate going into the city. Usually because of the ‘homeless’ issue) and they will hate Rio Rancho. Brekki Brekki is a rare thing around here. Not a chain restaurant and supporting a ‘at least in Rio Rancho’ modern appeal. The main draw is that they serve alcohol. And my grandmother, who seemingly enjoyed her dining experience, cannot for the life of her understand why a place with an open bar would close at 4pm every day.

I did get a mimosa. And thankfully I wasn’t paying the bill today and don’t know how much the teeny glass of orange juice and bubble wine cost us. The food however was slightly above the line in price compared to say Cracker Barrel. What would cost $12 at a diner, cost $15 here. Not terribly expensive. However, I wish the gimmicks stopped at booze. But the pancakes would come thin and rolled and filled with toppings. These are crepes. There are burritos and other traditionally new Mexican breakfast options, but I wouldn’t order these here. There are well established traditional places nearby that I know can provide a better huevos rancheros than this place. Its not why I would come to this place. I’m sure it would be a good, basic, option. This left a few options on the menu that I considered. Some biscuits with different toppings, or hash skillets. Taking a look around I saw one such hashes and the skillet was small in proportion to the other menu items. Keeping in mind it came with an ornamental salad mix on the other 3/5ths of your plate, the kind you aren’t sure you’re supposed to eat, I went with the biscuit. The front and center choice was a brisket topped biscuit. As fun as the alliteration was, I’m not a big bbq fan. Especially in this watertight contemporary sanitary décor. <- Derogatory. I didn’t see little red baskets or a smoker out back. Not getting brisket here. That left fried chicken topped,  just gravy, or fried chicken with sweet chili jam. What the heck, I’ll give them a chance.

The chicken was breaded fried. It was atop both biscuits. It was dabbed with something equivalent to an Asian sweet chili sauce. And on top and covering the plate empty space was a kale salad with some kind of oil dressing and feta cheese. With a ramekin of white gravy in the corner. It taste fine. I ate it all. I suspect the chicken was frozen. The biscuit was a little hard, rather than soft and flaky. The jam was fine but I dipped each piece in gravy to supplement the dry and bland chicken biscuit combo. Kale salad would’ve been good on its own, but it was dappled in a thin layer across everything.
Service was alright, I liked our waitress. The seating a little uncomfortable though. I’m not surprised by how packed the place was, rare for anything new to hit Rio Rancho. However, I hated the people I was sat next to. Some macho steroid user and his two lip fillered adornments. Their conversation was incredible. Like an elder scrolls game NPC. Other than the wait staff I think I was the only person in their 20-30s there. Granted it was Tuesday morning. My kind are busy working to afford rent and what not. But every other age group was represented in full. Toddlers and grey hairs abound. I was happy to be leaving and glad my pocketbook wasn’t opened for the event. Thanks for breakfast grandma.

0 on the -5 to 5.

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Annapurna’s

There are multiple Albuquerque locations. Maybe even one in Rio Rancho? It’s a place I’ve passed by and seen their little van going about town. My first memories of it were not conceptualized as a restaurant. The intricate murals were more part of the landscape to the university area of town rather than advertisements. And even then, it is a vegetarian spot. Something that recently has been something of greater interest to me than any other time in my life. Not that I’m going vegan, but my meat consumption and health/environmental consciousness is at a greater level than ever.

*See point above about me being a member of a relatively advanced society. Maybe the sins of my generation will be so bare and so evil, that my little vegetarian lifestyle thought experiments will be so very grossly condescending to future readers.*

And my girlfriend recommended it. As promised I waited for her to go try it for the first time. Although, as it is directly on my bike route to one of my off campus classes I had stopped in for a masala chai. A point about the chai really quick. Its $4ish for a little cup. The classic diner brown cup. Which would be expensive but you are promised a refill. This redeems the price. The quality of the spicy tea is good. You must understand dear reader, that I grow up in a primarily powdered mix chai environment. To finish my cup and find actual spices and tea remnants in the bottom of my cup is a tremendous treat. It points to my overall question. Is this place legit? My conclusion is that I think its trying to be. Which is good enough.

I got an order of something that escapes my mind in terms of naming. But it was a dosa bread wrapped concoction of carrot, potato, and other spiced mush. Served with a soup that was almost indistinguishable from the just mentioned spiced mush and potatoes. To call it soup, when it lacked broth is a stretch and I have no baseline to compare these foods to. However, I enjoyed them I could tell they were prepared well enough and had more than the usual salt and pepper flavor of every other food I can get. There were spices within. It wasn’t the best meal I’d ever had. It wasn’t even the best Indian food I’ve ever had. My compatriot ordered simply a cup of black beans. They were served cold, and we couldn’t decide if that was intentional or a consequence of our lackluster waiter. A young dude who asked me “is there anything else?” for the 100^th time after I was done signing the tablet. I couldn’t tell if this was just his first service job, as high as could be on some dab pen, or if the yogi vibes were so overwhelming to him that he was untethered from his intellect all together. Either way he was a dullard and it was giggling point for the two of us. No points off of my scoring over him, it added to the chill ambience. We finished everything, even the cold beans, except for the mountain of masala fries were served on the side. Which we were glad to pack for home.

The menu and place suggests upon itself the title of ‘ayurvedic’ cooking. Which is some kind of Indian medicinal food tradition. They use turmeric and maybe it helps you. Do I believe it? Absolutely. Am I floating in a cloud of newfound health the days since eating it? Nope. But I bet my life would be a little better if I ate like that every day. And I hope to atleast eat there more often now that I’ve had it. Its affordable, and a part of the community in a way that Brekki Brekki can never be. Quality, food, atmosphere, service, everything included. I would burn Brekki Brekki to the ground in favor of my kind of meh potato pudding burrito. Sorry to the young entrepreneur who I saw interviewed on local news over the grand opening of the new breakfast spot that serves beer. I hated it. I don’t care how quick and smiley the service.I don’t want to go back there. To whoever, local or not, proprietor of Annapurnas, I say I look forward to going back to try something else. Even just to stop in for a cup of chai.

3 on the -5 to 5