Sunday, March 16, 12:00 NOON
Members $55, guests $65

Turning green is not generally a condition to which we aspire at a Beard House dinner. But at our St. Patrick's Day brunch, green will be the color de rigueur. From fried green tomato B.L.T.s to deviled eggs with jalapeño "yikes" sauce to chive-buttermilk mashed potatoes, St. Patty's Irish eyes will be smiling on Beth Casey's down-home menu from her diner, Bubba's, in San Anselmo, California.

From the fat file of clippings Casey sent us, it's clear that her deft hands are matched by a big heart. Like St. Patrick himself (who is credited with converting the pagan Irish to Catholicism), Casey is devoted to her community and a born leader. She has a drawerful of community service awards, and has lent her diner ("Meetcha at Bubba's!" is its welcoming slogan) to countless community-oriented projects. Even her biography—usually a document that chefs hand off to PR firms—projects warmth. In it, Casey notes that after 31 years in the restaurant business, "it's just part of who I am," adding that at Bubba's, "I am still learning to recreate, reinvent, and revitalize my establishment and my town." (Hey, this is California!)

It's not your average résumé, but Bubba's is not your average diner. Sure, the shakes are thick, the burgers juicy, the pot roast a paragon, and the meatloaf a marvel—"Mayberry with an updated twist" is how Casey describes her diner—but that's just for openers. Bubba's is in moneyed Marin County, so Sean Penn, Carlos Santana, and Bonnie Raitt are among the regulars. Then there are Bubba's "Tuesdays with a Twist" dinners, when Casey invites guest chefs the likes of Mark Franz of Farallon to prepare items we'd like to see at our local diner: seared Hudson Valley foie gras with fresh huckleberries, maple syrup, and pancakes, for instance. Small wonder Sunset Magazine recommends Bubba's ("the locals throng" there) and Zagat gave it an Award of Distinction. As San Francisco magazine put it, "Happiness at this gourmet diner is an oyster sandwich, the bivalves deep-fried in zippy breading and nestled beneath bacon and Jack cheese. But then again, the crisp Caesar salad, well-dressed and huge, is just as joyful. As a matter of fact, it's hard not to find something to suit your appetite at this homespun spot."

Casey, who never devotes less than 150 percent of herself to a cause, is aiming to "diner-ize" the Beard House for our St. Patrick's Day Brunch with green-and-white-checked tablecloths and legions of her famous homemade preserves, chutneys, and pickles. It's not only Irish eyes that will be smiling.