SLOW FOOD. Small footprint. Portion size. Grass-fed beef. These are all buzz words we've been hearing a lot about, especially in Marin.

Louise Clow-Birkenseer has taken them to heart. The Terra Linda resident and mother of two has brought her philosophy together under the one small roof of her newly opened Weezy's Grass Fed Shed.

I don't typically use the words adorable and cute when I describe a restaurant, but Weezy's (the name comes from Birkenseer's childhood nickname, Breezy Weezy) is just that. Situated on a patch of parking lot shared with Scotty's Market, the mini-building, which sports posts that jut out of aluminum pails with tufts of grass, seems a perfect fit for the locale, near a public swimming pool.

Weezy's logo is a retro '50s Americana graphic of a chick sporting a sweater and a bubble that reads “Eat more beef,” created by a friend.

“I wanted it to have a throwback quality — a little bit sinister and sarcastic at the same time,” Birkenseer explained. She also described how having a restaurant has never been a lifelong dream. Instead, she noticed there was literally nowhere to buy a good burger nearby, so she decided to quit her job and open a burger joint instead.

But hers aren't just any burgers. She sources all of her grass-fed, antibiotic-free beef from Prather Ranch, which is known for its certified organic and natural beef production.

Much like the shed itself, the menu is small. Burger

choices range from a White Trash Burger ($3), Mmmmm Burger ($2.50) and a B-Rad with bacon ($3) or the Contiki that includes pineapple and teriyaki sauce ($3). Two vegetarian selections including a Moo-Less Burger ($2.50) and Burger in a Butter Cup ($2.50) round out the options.

Prices are low but the burgers are small — think sliders. I opted for a Mmmmm burger — just a beef patty on a bun. I added Tillamook cheddar cheese for 25 cents. It was juicy and delicious, and I gobbled it up. I also tried the White Trash version with a thousand island dressing that was unremarkable. I preferred the straightforward burger on a bun. The Moo-Less (veggie) had the expected consistency and flavor, but I would again stick with the meat versions. Both the Contiki with pineapple and the B-Rad with bacon were sumptuous, fresh and tasty.

Two of these morsels would have been plenty to fill me up. I can't tell you how much I appreciated seeing a reasonable portion size — hats off to Birkenseer for bringing a healthful sensibility to the revered burger.

I had less control maintaining a reasonable portion of the truly addictive sweet potato fries ($3.75); Birkenseer uses rice bran oil in her deep fryer, which results

in a much less greasy fry. Both the potato and the sweet potato fries were exceptional.

Birkenseer is committed to keeping things simple. Her thoughtful concept was born out of everything she wanted for her kids — her food had to be good for you.

Eventually she will add breakfast to the mix, but not before she feels just right about what she is feeding her community.

 

REVIEW

Weezy's Grass fed Shed

Address: 621 Del Ganado, Terra Linda

Phone: 415-479-7433

Web site: www.weezys-shed.com

Cuisine: Burgers and fries

Service: Friendly

Noise level: Quiet

Recommended dishes: Mmmmm burger, B-rad burger, sweet potato fries

Liquor selection: N/A

Corkage: N/A

Heart-healthy and vegetarian selections: Veggie burgers

Parking: Lot

Wheelchair access: Yes

Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays; closed Mondays.

Credit cards: All major

Summary: Weezy's Grass Fed Shed made its debut in November and serves up antibiotic-free, grass-fed burgers out of a small building on the side of a parking lot near Scotty's Market. The welcome addition also has addictive sweet potato fries.