From Cyber Books to Moses Mania, the Stories We’ve Brought You During the Year Have Had Some Surprising Developments : A Busy Restaurateur Adds Another Hat

Angelenos are notoriously fickle when it comes to dining out. A restaurant that makes the 10-best list one day can be on the out list the next, even with a prime location and a five-star chef.

In May we profiled Will Karges, an up-and-coming restaurateur who seemed to be figuring out the formula for continuing success. He owns Blueberry, a countrified breakfast and lunch place in Santa Monica; is chairman of the Johnnie’s chain of pizzerias; and is a partner in Jones, a hip Hollywood bar/restaurant, and Rix, a supper club in Santa Monica.

All are still going strong as 35-year-old Karges tweaks a few changes here and there, such as launching a new line of rustic, organic fruit pies and cobblers at Blueberry. At Rix he has put the focus on fine dining downstairs (with themed tasting menus) while the upstairs patio continues to feature live music.

He’s excited about his most recent acquisition: the Circle Bar in Santa Monica, a real bar bar with some local lore and a loyal following.

“I’m going to keep it to its roots,” he says, “but I’m going to bring it into the ‘90s. I want to have a rock-’n’-roll-esque bar, but do it with little nuances, not so much in your face. There will be no memorabilia. . . . The music will be rock and alternative rock from the ‘60s to the present. This will be a place where you can get loose, hang your hat--not a dance hall, not a nightclub, but a real, true bar. It’s just going to be about whiskeys and scotches, no blenders, no Midori daiquiris. I will not have that.”

While he admits that “the restaurant business is a tough business,” he adds: “I’m having so much fun. It didn’t even dawn on me until about 2 1/2 years ago that I’m much more of a concept person. As long as that’s feeding me, I’ll never be sick of this.”