If you're looking for star power, but you're not in the mood for a theme park-style chain restaurant, then Schatzi On Main might be just what you're looking for.

This restaurant on Main Street in sunny Santa Monica was opened in 1992 by none other than "The Last Action Hero" himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver (his TV-reporter wife and member of the Kennedy clan). Arnold can be seen at his restaurant fairly often, when he's not off in some other part of the world filming another "Terminator" epic. (He was spotted dining here with co-star Tom Arnold, for instance, during the making of "True Lies.") "Titanic" director James Cameron first heard about the "True Lies" plot over breakfast with Arnold at Schatzi.

This was Arnold's first restaurant, opened in 1991, before his involvement with Planet Hollywood. And it's a much smaller, cozier spot; a real neighborhood restaurant, not a theme-park-with-food like P.H.

Schatzi translates roughly into "sweetheart" or "dear." There was already a small restaurant named "Schatzi" in the area, but Arnold liked the name so much that he paid the owner of that original café for the right to use the name.

You can't see Schatzi well from the street. The restaurant is tucked away discreetly in the back of a small shopping center called Courtyard Shops, and you must walk down a few steps, and cross a brick patio to reach this casual-chic neighborhood café. Arnold has spent a lot of money here, but he has tried to keep this a simple, unpretentious, fun place to dine. The ceilings are brick, the columns topped with ivy, and the chef is Michael Rosen (formerly of Maple Drive), but the waiters sport Hawaiian shirts, and service is friendly. (When you visit the restroom, listen for the German language lessons being piped in.)

The food isn't the real the attraction here. It's a fairly commonplace menu; most of the dishes are American standards such as meatloaf, fish, veal chops, and big desserts, although they do offer a very good wienerschnitzel. (Arnold's Austrian mom tasted the apple pie, didn't like it, and made him put her apple strudel on the menu instead.)

In 1998, though, Arnold added a whole new menu, featuring more of Arnold's favorite traditional Austrian dishes from his childhood, such as bratwurst, knackwurst, Austrian grilled tenderloin (zwiebel rost braten), and molasses-glazed rack of lamb (with gerostetem gemuese).

Arnold has always enjoyed a good breakfast (as those at Patrick's Roadhouse know), and he and wife Maria Shriver show up at Schatzi often for breakfast & lunch. As you might expect, breakfast is a sunny highlight here at Schatzi on Main, with good corn beef hash and potato pancakes joining the usual breakfast menu. Prices vary. Dinner for two can be as low as $35 or as high as $75 (plus wine), depending upon what you order. (Zagat figures an average of $52.) Your best bet may be breakfast out on their attractive patio.

Breakfast is served Mon-Fri: 7-11 AM. Lunch & dinner is served daily from 11:30 AM. Brunch on Saturday & Sunday. (Valet and garage parking.)

Schatzi is located along Santa Monica's Main Street district, a pleasant, upscale boulevard great for strolling. Schatzi is on the west side of Main Street, just north of Navy Street, on the opposite side of the street from (and two blocks south of) Wolfgang Puck's Chinois on Main.

Getting there: Take the Santa Monica (10) Freeway west to the 4th Street exit in Santa Monica. Go south on 4th Street to Pico Boulevard and turn right (west). Go one block west on Pico to Main Street, and turn left (south). Go south on Main Street (less than a mile) to the Courtyard Shops, which will be on your right (west) side.

Update: in July 1998, the L.A. Times reported: "Arnold Schwarzenegger has leased his restaurant Schatzi on Main to ice cream magnate Charly Temmel, though Schwarzenegger still owns the building. "Arnold is still involved in everything. He and Charly are good friends," says new chef and fellow Austrian G.M. Helmut Elmann." Arnold will also continue to attend the monthly cigar night dinners at the restaurant, which draw such celebrities as William Shatner and Wilt Chamberlain, held the first Monday of every month.