PUT ON A HAPPY FACE Nothing makes me happier than good news, so I'm beside myself with all the recent openings in Marin. An important aspect is that restaurants are in the reasonably priced category, a plus these days. The shopping center on Del Ganado in San Rafael (where longtime Scotty's Market is the magnet store) is home to a new-fangled burger spot, Weezy's Grass Fed Shed. Owner Louise Clow-Birkenseer puts the emphasis on healthful ingredients: natural beef from Prather Ranch is used, fries (white and sweet) are cooked in rice bran oil. The sell here is size, from the small cozy space to the burgers themselves, little enough to be just right for youngsters and justifying more than one for adults. (That way there's a chance to try more than one style.) The family-operated establishment is an asset for the family-focused Terra Linda community. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-7pm. (415/479-7433, www.weezys-shed.com)...

The little wooden cottage-like building in Corte Madera that was once Baby Sal's and later Simmer has been painted brightest red, an easy way to find Sea Thai Bistro, its newest tenant. Owner and executive chef Tony Ounpamornchai operates successful sister restaurants in Petaluma and Santa Rosa and he continues Thai fusion explorations here with partner/chef Vitawas Namshiao. Familiar dishes appear on the menu but new takes are worth trying, like grilled shrimp with avocado on artisan bread with an Asian pesto and housemade peanut sauce, or oven-roasted duck breast with gingery dried cherries and fresh pineapple, served with grilled vegetables. Perfect for Marin, unusual for a Thai place, the wine list is large with many selections available by the glass and dessert choices are more varied than those on most Asian menus. Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner (60 Corte Madera Ave., 415/927-8333 or www.seathaibistrosr.com)...

The folks who ran a popular San Rafael storefront snack shop known as the Falafel Hut have moved out and up, into a nearby larger home that's a full-service restaurant. Owner Selim Shawa and his family are now able to produce Middle Eastern specialties: small plates, flatbread pizza-like snacks, generous entrees. Ethnic dishes range from falafel to kibbeh (crisp-fried, highly seasoned packets of ground meat and cracked wheat) and kefta kebabs of ground meat cooked on skewers, and marinated lamb chops with saffron rice and grilled vegetables. No respectable Middle Eastern restaurant would skimp on desserts and this one is no exception with its syrup-drenched pastries made from semolina or filo dough. Live belly dancers perform every Friday night to enliven the atmosphere of this casual space with its out-of-the-ordinary cuisine. Open daily, lunch and dinner (1115 Fourth St., 415/259-0440)...

P.S. Shawa retains the lease on his former shop and has brought hot dogs back to downtown with Royal Franks. Six styles of dogs--from Chicago-style to gourmet--and a condiment bar for fast-food fans are available daily, 11am-6pm.

AND THERE'S MORE! A January opening in Bon Air Center, Greenbrae, brought us SusieCakes, a branch of a popular Southern California bakery. The emphasis here is on American sweets, reminiscent of a time before lavender, salted caramel and chai were routinely added to our desserts. Walking into the shop is like going back to childhood. In glass cases and on countertops are nostalgic treats like six-layer chocolate cake, snowy coconut cake, cupcakes in flavors such as peanut butter or red velvet (a bestseller), flaky pies with pure seasonal fruit fillings and containers of hand-stirred puddings (banana, butterscotch, and chocolate). Cookies include whoopee pies (chocolate with vanilla cream filling), snickerdoodles and blonde brownies. All are made from top quality natural ingredients--premium butter, Guittard chocolate. A big draw is the custom cakes for special occasions, with spectacular designs. Each month brings timely specials. Hours are 10am-7pm, Monday to Saturday; 415/461-2253 and www.susiecakesla.com.

Whet Pat's appetite at patfusco@sonic.net.

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