You've got to try Dorado: Tacos & Quesadillas in NYC

The Baja Original Fish Taco

The other day I was taking a quick break from work to do a quick shoot for the documentary and I needed to find a quick bite to eat before I rushed back to work. The Queen of Film and I wandered down 12th Street and stopped at Dorado a street style Mexican Taco spot at 28 East 12th St near the corner of University Place in the Village. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for Mexican/Hispanic food. 


Dorado's is known for its "Baja Original Fish Taco," but not being a huge fan of fish I opted to try the Grilled Chicken and Veggie tacos, which ran me $6. 


Seeing that I would have spent as much on a less healthy meal, the ingredients were worth the money. I will admit it was a little spicy, but it was so good that I powered right through the roasted pepper habanero salsa. 


I am excited to go back to try a quesadilla, the tortilla soup, and a class of sangria. They also have salads and authentic Mexican soda on the menu. If you stop by tell them I sent you ... hopefully that'll get me a free quesadilla. I'm serious.


XXOO,
Brandice aka Theory

Muy, muy delicioso

Muy, muy caliente.

All photos by Jasmine Castillo

Today's Theory - Tomorrow's Fact: Yaw Geez

As you may recall, if not scroll down a little bit, I introduced you to Yaw Geez. We finally sat down for an interview a few weeks ago and here it is. Enjoy.

 YAW GEEZ INTERVIEW by MsTheory2U

Watt to buy: The truth about blow dryers [Guest post for ShayStar.com]

Over the course of several weeks, I noticed it was taking longer and longer to blow-dry my hair. Realizing that the dryer was going on three years old and slowly creeping towards its final fate - to sit in a landfill somewhere in America, I set out to purchase a new one.

The hunt began at the local box retail store where the dryers ranged in price from $9.99 to 39.99. Ionic this, cool shot that … it was all so overwhelming. A closer look at the boxes led to a startling conclusion, each and every dryer on the shelf was 1875 watts. This had to be some type of conspiracy. I am no science buff, but I do know that the wattage refers to how much power the drier pushes out; therefore the wattage refers to how hot the drier will get. They are ripping people off on a daily basis. The $10 dryer does the same job as the $40 dryer.

I went home pissed off and began doing my research and found that dryers range in wattage from 1000-5000. The blow dryer industry is very tricky with their marketing and will name a 1000-watt dryer the “Turbo 3000” - 3000 has nothing to do with the machine’s performance. You have to pay attention to the wattage - that is all that matters.

Armed with my new knowledge, I headed to a professional hair supply store and found a plethora of choices. The drier in my price range was the Conair Silver Bird Pro, which is 2000 watts and was on sale for $29.99 normally $49.99  - so I scored. The moral of the story is don’t be fooled by the hype, do your research before you shop for anything.

Here is to hair blowing in the wind,

Theory

www.ThatsMyTheory.info

Twitter.com/MsTheory2U

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www.ThatsMyTheory.info

How to survive sunburn: A guide for brown girls of all shades

Working on my sunburn ... I mean tan.

For 28 years, I too believed the myth that “Black people don’t get sun burn.”

After spending countless hours on South Beach last Memorial Day weekend, my entire chest, neck and face were completely burned. It looked like I got into a fight with my blush, and the blush won - it was not a good look.

It was not until the next morning that the full extent of my so -called “trying to get as brown as I possibly could” was realized. My skin was on fire.

Here’s what got me through it:

PAIN RELIVER: Chose your favorite brand. Tylenol, Advil, Excedrin – whatever you prefer.

ALOE VERA SOMETHING: The aloe not only cools on contact, but it also has natural healing properties. I chose a spray for the simple fact that it’s not messy. A gel probably works best, but the spray goes on quicker and doesn’t require washing your hands. Lazy, I know …

SUNBLOCK SPF 50: If you plan to go back out into the sun, you must understand that you will continue to bake. If you want to have any chance of enjoying the rest of your trip, lather up in it and apply it religiously throughout the day.

MOSTURIZER: Carry the lotion with you. Your skin will start to peel, you will feel like a snake – it is disgusting. It’s hard to forgive yourself for this – which is why I will do better next time.  

The tan was worth it.

My Theory on who you should be listening to.

It’s been way too long since I’ve made a post about music, especially after the twitter fiasco -if you’ve been with me from the beginning you know what I am talking about. If not -we NEVER speak of the twitter fiasco in detail. 

Moving on … I was inspired this weekend after I was asked about what’s on my iPod.  This person is as critical as I am, so when he loved what I showed him – I felt obligated to make my choices public.  You may, or may not have heard of these artists – but now that you know better, you can do better.

Yaw Geez – About a year ago my girlfriend, Rose, told me about a concert that her friend Yaw was having and suggested that I cover it for the site. Being the critical individual I am, I declined. One of my biggest fears is that awkward moment when you realize that your friends friend’s music sucks – and those are always the ones that have a nerve to ask you what you think. Long story short … I was recently inspired to check out his album, Entry Level. Ladies and Gentleman, I am honestly extremely disappointed that it took me an entire year to enjoy the album.  Pure dopeness.

Songs that should be on the radio: 9 to 5er’s and Computer Love.

Mike Baker the Bike Maker – Dude is as cool as his flow is. Was happy to meet him and his love at the A Tribe Called Quest documentary screening during Tribeca. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I heard the first bars on Refreshing – track one on his project, Body of Work. Not to mention homey is from the Golden State, you how we do on the left coast.

My favorite track? The Coast is Clear – his latest single.






You can thank me later,
Theory

Stand Up, Speak Out

                                  

This was not easy to get out. It actually took me two months to edit this piece. I hope it helps someone.

Mr. Fabulosity, André D. Singleton

Andre D. Singleton is known internationally for his big-bright smile, his infectious laugh, and his ability to “bring it” on the dance floor as a member of the band, Boogieman. Andre is not only a survivor, but an inspiration to all he encounters.

Mr. Fabulosity, himself, sat down with Brandice Taylor-Davis of WNSR - New School Radio for a candid interview about his time at Eugene Lang College, his brush with death, and his motto for life.

I first introduced you to Mr. Fabulosity when he brought me back to reality last year. Clearly, I have been slacking on my pimping - because I have no good reason for not sharing it here as well.

Recently, Andre appeared on Episode 5 of the hit VH-1 Show, Basketball Wives.

Find André on twitter: @Brohogany

 Andre D. Singleton Interview by MsTheory2U

BEYONCÉ :: YEAR OF 4

I tried to tell y'all I was not anti-Beyoncé - I just wasn't feeling her last project, I am Sasha Fierce. That's My Theory and I am entitled to it - dammit.

This short documentary is life changing and it kinda makes me proud to be a fan. Watch and tell us what you think. Check back soon for the album review.






  

Girl, you've got some soft skin . . .

Lately, I've gotten several compliments on my skin and decided that I’m willing to give up a secret or two to help my fellow beauty addict.

BODY

I've made it my business to stop using all those cutesy soaps/body washes that dry your skin out. About two years ago, I fell in love with Lush solid soaps and haven’t stopped using them since. They are all natural and because they are super concentrated a $10 chunk usually lasts me 2-3 months.

To moisturize, I have found that the lotion from my childhood works the best, St. Ives Renewing Collagen Elastin - during the winter (or for a hot date) I mix it with body butter from Bath and Body Works for extra softness.

I constantly experiment with exfoliators. Currently, I am using St. Ives Mineral Therapy body scrub - I found at a discount store and I will be going back to pick up more. It not only exfoliates, but cleanses and moisturizes all in one swoop. I use it 1-2 times weekly.

FACE

One day it occurred to me that I could no longer wash my face with only water and expect it to stay looking vibrant and healthy. It took several combinations, but I have gotten my facial care down to a science. Here are a few things that work for me.

I constantly change my facial soap and moisturizer. In my bathroom, I have at least 4 kinds of soap and three moisturizers in my medicine cabinet. Your skin is a living, breathing organ that reacts to the environment around it, so it’s necessary to give it what it needs.

Fresh Farmacy

To fight acne I use Fresh Farmacy from Lush as well as Clinique liquid facial soap. As soon as my face starts feeling dry I use good ole Oil of Olay bar soap. For an every day cleanser I use Ocean Salt Cleanser by Lush.

Clearly, I am a Lush addict and my toner is also a product of this company – the Tea Tree Water Toner is my best friend and strongest defense against pimples.

As you may have guessed, I am in love with Lush moisturizer and there are two that I LIVE for – Gorgeous (light, smells amazing, and quite refreshing) and Vanishing Cream (controls oil, helps with scaring, helps with acne). My third moisturizer I got from Sustainable NYC, I use this one in the winter to help restore moisture.

HAIR

Now, it gets really tricky with my hair. I use SEVERAL products as I do for my face – but this list is twice as long because I also use different products when I want to wear it natural (curly) or straight. But heck, it’s the summer, and I am on my natural kick most days, so let’s stick to the products I am using the most now.

Hask Henna 'n' Placenta plus Olive Oil

To get my locks clean, I switch between Aphogee Shampoo for Damaged Hair and Trichomania (another Lush product).  In my opinion, you could probably get away with using cheap shampoo, but you can not skimp with the conditioner. I use the Balancing Moisturizer and the 2-Minute Keratin Reconstructor by Aphogee as well as Jungle by Lush.

Because I wash my hair so much, I make it my business to deep condition at least 2-3 times a week and I rotate between Garnier’s 3 Minute Undo, Lush’s H'SUAN WEN HUA, and MoroccanOil’s Restorative Conditioner (not so easy on the pockets).

To style I alternate between the leave in conditioner by Aphogee and Hask Henna 'n' Placenta plus Olive Oil – both are amazing. To keep the frizz away, I use MoroccanOil’s Intense Curl Crème with a splash of their oil treatment. When I want to be certain it stays the way it looks all day – I give it a few sprays of Aphogee’s hair spritz and a dab of Cantu shea butter clear conditioning gel - extra hold. 

I am always trying new combinations and products. Tell us what works best for you, or what you think of my suggestions.

HERE IS TO BEING HEALTY AND BEAUTIFUL.

Cheers,

Theory

Can I kick it? Yes, you can. A Tribe Called Quest Documentary.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I was doing a piece on the A Tribe Called Quest documentary. Totally forgot about posting the story here, as it has been posted on WNSR - New School Radio for some time now.


Click HERE to hear the story. Enjoy.

I would link to the movie page, yet somewhere between my research and now - it has been replaced with some corporate bullish. Instead, here is the trailer.