RESTAURANTS

Moose Food: Bullwinkle’s Restaurant in Fountain Valley, however, is betting that, despite people’s desire to be svelte, they still give in occasionally to the urge to splurge.

The restaurant’s newest menu item--barbecued ribs served with french fries, baked beans and buttermilk biscuits with honey butter--won’t appeal to anyone with a health-conscious palate. But neither will the pizza, half-pound hamburgers and fried chicken that are the old favorites at Bullwinkle’s.

The latest temptation is that, after the main course, waiters now saunter past diners with dessert menus and encourage them to indulge in high-calorie items like hot fudge sundaes and banana splits.

The company said recently that its customer approval rating is now the highest in its history.