BY NATALIE HAUGHTON >Food Editor

Latest to join the lineup of sizzling celeb hot spots is the knockout Beso in Hollywood, where Eva Longoria Parker is an owner.

Just what prompted her to take the plunge?

"I have always loved the power of food in bringing people together," notes Parker. "I am constantly cooking for friends and family for game night or dinner parties, so opening a restaurant felt natural, especially with the help of someone as talented as Todd English (the celebrity chef who is also one of the owners)."

Parker has influenced the menu (guacamole and tortilla soup are made with her recipes), decor and design. And the wall to the entrance has poems by Parker's sister etched in the glass.

Some diners may even get a chance to hobnob with the "Desperate Housewives" actress - she often greets guests when she's on the premises. Buzz has it that she's been at the restaurant about 10 times and eaten there about six since it opened last month. She had her birthday party there and threw a splashy opening bash that included a wealth of stars, among them Sheryl Crow, Paula Abdul, Ryan Seacrest, Nicollette Sheridan and Felicity Huffman.

When they invest, some celebs are hands on, others not. Jennifer Lopez, owner of Madre's Restaurant in Pasadena, which opened in 2002, says, "I was more involved in the beginning. Now it's more of a self-sufficient business."

And yes, she still eats there once in a while.

When cooking at home, she says, "I love to cook Puerto Rican food mostly - kind of like Madre's menu."

There's more to operating a restaurant than just names and buzz. Famous celebrity investors don't guarantee success. Restaurants must deliver appealing decor, good food, professional service and, hopefully, a memorable dining experience.

"So many times with these celebrity restaurants, the celebrity is just a front person (that) the public-relations people build a whole promomtional campaign around," says Richard Martin, executive editor of Nation's Restaurant News.

"Often these people are just one piece of the puzzle. If you can attract star-struck tourists with the buzz about the celebrity owner, that might work in the short term, but then word spreads that the celebrity really isn't there, and the restaurant has to live or die on its own merit," he adds.

The one that breaks the mold in terms of gaining attention and hands-on success is Jeri Ryan ("Shark"), Martin says. She and her husband, chef Christophe Eme, formerly of L'Orangerie, started Ortolan - it received one star from Michelin recently - and she was involved in getting the restaurant off the ground.

"It's very helpful to have an owner that understands the restaurant business. If the person whose money is backing the venture doesn't really understand the restaurant business, it can be difficult to execute the necessary cost controls and management fundamentals and the oversight of the kitchen," points out Martin.

Lee Maen, partner in the Innovative Dining Group - which owns eight restaurants in Los Angeles, including Boa, Katana, Sushi Roku, Robata Bar and Luckyfish - notes there are some benefits to having celebrity investors. "Ryan Seacrest (a major investor in the group's restaurants) is a foodie. He loves food and wine and loves to get involved."

While none of the investors is hands-on when it comes to operations, adds Maen, "Celebrities can give better word-of-mouth or buzz than the average person. When Ryan is on the radio and mentions one of the restaurants, it hits more people than the average person speaking to their friends."

Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton@dailynews.com

Some celebrity-owned restaurants around Los Angeles:

BESO

6350 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, (323) 467-7991; www.beso.com.

Mediterranean fare with a Spanish infusion.

Celeb link: Eva Longoria Parker.

BOA STEAKHOUSE

8462 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 650-8383; 101 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, (310) 899-4466;

www.boasteak.com.

Modern American steakhouse.

Celeb link: Ryan Seacrest, director Brett Ratner, Tori Spelling.

DOLCE

8284 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 852-7174; www.dolcegroup.com. Contemporary mix of northern and southern Italian cuisine.

Celeb link: Ashton Kutcher, below left, Wilmer Valderrama, Danny Masterson, Christopher Masterson, Dule Hill, Simon Rex, Jamie Kennedy, Adam Rodriguez, Malik Whitfield, Geoff Stults.

MADRE'S RESTAURANT

897 Granite Drive, Pasadena, (626) 744-0900; www.madrerestaurant.com. Cuban/Puerto Rican/Latin American food.

Celeb link: Jennifer Lopez.

AGO

8478 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 655-6333; www.agorestaurant.com.

Tuscan cuisine.

Celeb link: Robert De Niro, director brothers Ridley and Tony Scott, movie executives Bob and Harvey Weinstein.

GEISHA HOUSE

6633 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 460-6300; www.dolcegroup.com.

Modern Japanese - tapas, sushi and sashimi dishes with a contemporary spin.

Celeb link: Christopher Masterson, Ashton Kutcher, Wilmer Valderrama, Danny Masterson, Laura Prepon, Dule Hill, Jamie Kennedy, Sean Astin.

NOBU LOS ANGELES

903 N. La Cienega Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 657-5711; www.noburestaurants.com.

New-style Japanese cuisine.

Celeb link: Robert De Niro, who also has a stake in the other 18 Nobu restaurants, including Nobu Malibu.

FOXTAIL

9077 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 859-8369; www.sbe.com/foxtail.

European bistro.

Celeb link: Director Brett Ratner, NBC Entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman.

ORTOLAN

8338 W. Third Street St., Los Angeles, (323) 653-3300; www.ortalanrestaurant.com.

French cuisine.

Celeb link: Jeri Ryan.

MULBERRY STREET PIZZERIA

17040 Ventura Blvd., Encino, (818) 906-8881, opened 1995; 240 S. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 247-8100, opened 1996; 347 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 347-8998, opened 1991; www.mulberrypizza.com.

New York thin-crust pizza.

Celeb link: Cathy Moriarty.

BLOWFISH SUSHI TO DIE FOR

9229 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 887-3848; www.blowfishsushi.com.

Japanese fusion.

Celeb link: Julian Lennon.

SUSHI ROKU

8445 W. Third St., West Hollywood, (323) 655-6767, opened 1997; 1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 458-4771, opened 1999; 33 Miller Alley, Pasadena, (626) 683-3000, opened 1999; www.sushiroku.com.

Contemporary sushi with California influences.

Celeb link: Ryan Seacrest, Brett Ratner, Tori Spelling.

KATANA

8439 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 650-8585; www.katanarobata.com.

Robatayaki cuisine along with sushi, tempura and other Japanese specialties.

Celeb link: Ryan Seacrest, Brett Ratner, Tori Spelling.

ROBATA BAR

1401 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, (310) 458-4771; www.robatabar.com.

Robatayaki, grilled Japanese skewers, ceviche, tartare and sushi.

Celeb link: Ryan Seacrest, Brett Ratner, Tori Spelling.

LUCKYFISH

338 N. Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, (310) 274-9800; www.luckyfishsushi.com.

Conveyor-belt sushi with high-quality ingredients.

Celeb link: Ryan Seacrest, Brett Ratner, Tori Spelling.

KATE MANTILINI

5921 Owensmouth Ave., Woodland Hills, (818) 348-1095, opened 2003; 9101 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 278-3699, opened 1986; Gardens on Glendon, 1139 Glendon Ave., Westwood, (310) 824-1818; www.gardensonglendon.com.

American comfort food.

Celeb link: Owners Harry and Marilyn Lewis were both in show biz - Harry a contract actor with Warner Bros. and Marilyn a fashion designer for TV. They also founded Hamburger Hamlet, which they no longer own.

BELLA CUCINA ITALIANA

1708 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood, (323) 468-8815, www.dolcegroup.com.

Southern Italian cuisine.

Celeb link: Investors include Ron Livingston, Jesse Metcalfe, Tori Spelling, Josh Stewart.

>Natalie Haughton