Steve Rowe believes that hitting a dartboard bull's-eye will be his biggest worry when he starts a darts league at The Glen.

In September, Rowe—a longtime patron of The Glen—bought out Horst Brenner's share of the restaurant and now runs the restaurant with Stella Karamanos.

Stella's husband, John Karamanos, received approval to open a bar and restaurant in 1996. It opened in 1997 as Willow Glen Billiards and Brew.

Stella Karamanos said that when Brenner mentioned he'd like to move on, Rowe, a former Silicon Valley executive, offered to take over.

"I've always wanted to do this," Rowe said. "I got sick and tired of the Silicon Valley business industry."

Rowe's ownership is just another step in The Glen's evolution.

"The Glen is nothing like it was when it opened as Billiards and Brew in 1997," Karamanos said. "But I think The Glen is becoming what we want it to be—basically a place where the local community can come and enjoy themselves and hang out."

But getting there was a long, strange trip.

When the Karamanoses announced their idea for a bar in June 1996 a suspicious neighborhood feared the former old Hand Crafters Mall, 1180 Lincoln Ave., would bring in unsavory elements, especially if the owners wanted to keep the place open until 2 a.m.

The owners spent about $1 million retrofitting the place. The next few years The Glen endured several ups and downs, such as getting permission to stay open until 2 a.m., which was given and then revoked by the San Jose Planning Commission and the city council.

During the past few years the owners tried ways to ease parking and lessen noise to not annoy neighbors on nearby Blewett and Meredith avenues.

The owners spent thousands of dollars installing special ventilation equipment to inhale cigar smoke and recycle the air only to see their investment go up in smoke when the state passed a law in January 1998 that prohibited smoking in public places.

Willow Glen Billiards and Brew changed its name to The Glen in July 1998 and also changed its image from a billiards hall to an upscale restaurant and pub.

With Rowe on board the restaurant is once again changing.

"Well, for one, you have a working partner who is at The Glen during the workday," Stella said.

She said she hasn't had much time to be at the location since she needs to stay home more with her children, and John is president and chief executive officer of another company.

"The service is different. The menu will change. We're always coming up with new ideas and new activities," Karamanos said.

Rowe said that one of the changes he's made to the menu is to make it more diverse. He felt that there were too many beef dishes, so he wanted to add more seafood, in-season produce and pasta dishes.

Rowe is also well-traveled. He said that during his time as a financial executive he went to Europe about three times a year. On several occasions he would drop by various pubs and restaurants, and he's particularly fond of several dishes he discovered while traveling west of Milan, Italy. He was introduced to foods he said he'd love to someday serve at home, particularly veal and lamb shanks.

Rowe said he hopes to make The Glen similar to what pubs are in Europe—not so much in decor but in ambiance.

"Pubs in Europe aren't just places to go and drink," Rowe said. "They're places to relax, socialize, unwind and just enjoy oneself and other people's company."

But Rowe would like to see The Glen become as much an institution as his other favorite restaurant and bar, F.X. McRory's Steak, Chop & Oyster House, in downtown Seattle.

He wanted Willow Glen Billiards and Brew and later The Glen to be for him what F.X. McRory's is to its community.

"When I came in Billiards and Brew when it opened, I thought, 'This is exactly what I want,' " Rowe said. " 'This is exactly what I want to be a part of.' "

He was happy when the place was a bar but says that when it became more of a restaurant, he "couldn't have been more pleased."

Rowe wants to strive to maintain a "reasonable price point." He consulted nearby restaurants about their prices.

"I want to keep prices more in line with other restaurants because I don't want customers to feel like they're being gouged," he said.

He noticed how downtown San Jose restaurants have suffered, with a significant number of closings. He's watched as most restaurants have resorted to lessening hours and cutting back on service.

"Quality is a constant effort," he said.

Rowe is keeping the mahogany billiard tables in the upstairs lounge but would like to bring in more dartboards and shuffleboard tables. He would also like to start a dart league and hold competitions with other pubs' dart leagues.

"In Europe, there's a friendly rivalry between pubs, and it's all in good fun," Rowe said.

Rowe would also like to establish a "wall of fame," where regular patrons and notable personalities who take part in local events like Founders' Day, Dancing on the Avenue, marathons and tournaments can have their photos framed and hung.

"Then people would have something to point to and say, 'I was involved with that,' " Rowe said.

For more information on The Glen, 1180 Lincoln Ave., call 408.288.9422 or visit www.the-glen.com.