[Best of OC 2008 Post Cards] Foodstuffs: Greetings From Dexter Holland

The Offspring have a new record out, but forgive county gourmands for not caring and instead focusing on lead man Holland’s Gringo Bandito hot sauce, a salsa with the fire of Tapatío, the flavor of Cholula and the charm that only agabacho can bring. “I’m just a white boy who grew up in Garden Grove, but I love Mexican food and culture,” he says.

My mornings start with a jog. Since I live in Huntington Beach, I jog from my house to Huntington Beach State Beach and back. That’s a couple of miles. I try to surf a couple of times a week, but I’m an amateur, a long boarder. Bolsa Chica’s great and close, but I try to make it to Trestles. Both have great waves. We make Gringo Bandito once a week, so I usually head off after surfing or jogging to a commercial kitchen in Newport Beach. You got to go in the trenches with your people, so I’ll be there with my workers, washing the peppers, cutting them up, de-seeding them . . . the whole thing.

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately in our band’s studio in Huntington Beach. For lunch, I like going to Mario’s. There’s one on Springdale and Edinger, another on Main. I start with some tacos, then move to the carnitas and chile colorado. A good chile colorado needs the sauce to be just right— (can’t be too sweet or dark), —and Mario’s does it great. Las Barcas is another good Mexican restaurant. It's on Beach and Adams. They have good enchiladas there. And the tacos at Chronic Tacos and Wahoo’s are always great. Plus, they carry Gringo Bandito!

Since I also run Nitro Records, I try to go out to shows at nights. Fitzgerald’s is great, so is the Blue Cafe.King Neptune’s has more of a bar vibe, where they throw a band in the corner. I like that because when a band know they’re background music, they try a bit harder.

• Mario’s Mexican Restaurant, 15964 Springdale St., Huntington Beach, (714) 894-2896; 18603 Main St., Huntington Beach, (714) 842-5811; www.mariosmexrestaurant.com.

• Las Barcas, 21032 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, (714) 536-2616; www.lasbarcas.com.

• Chronic Tacos, 328 11th St., Huntington Beach, (714) 960-0339; eatchronictacos.com.

• Wahoo’s Fish Taco, 120 Main St., Huntington Beach, (714) 536-2050; various other locations; www.wahoos.com.

• Fitzgerald’s Pub, 19171 Magnolia St., Ste. 12, Huntington Beach, (714) 968-4523; www.fitzgeraldsoc.com.

• Blue Cafe, 17208 Pacific Coast Hwy., Huntington Beach, (562) 592-1302; www.thebluecafe.com.

• King Neptune’s Restaurant, 17115 Pacific Coast Hwy., Sunset Beach, (866) 600-9262; www.jkingneptunes.net.