MARK WAITE / PVT Linda Meads of KPVM-TV samples some of the 19 new entrees on the menu at the Stockman's Steakhouse in the Pahrump Nugget Casino while Food and Beverage Manager Jeffery Rathjen, standing at left waits for her critique. Advertisement

Some residents may complain about the lack of an Applebee's or a T.G.I. Friday's, or other well-known restaurant chain in Pahrump, but one of the finer eating establishments in town is making up for the variety by changing the menu on a regular basis.

Another 19 items were unveiled at the Stockman's Steakhouse in the Pahrump Nugget beginning Feb. 1. It greatly expands the definition of a steakhouse, though the standard 20 ounce Porterhouse steak, with the PN, or Pahrump Nugget, brand on it, is still prominently featured on the menu.

Pahrump Nugget Food and Beverage Manager Jeffery Rathjen said the Nugget restaurant staff tries to change the menu every six to eight months to provide more choices for their patrons.

The new dishes include a cajun pasta with sliced, blackened chicken seasoned with a slightly spicy cajun pepper and served with fettucini.

A blackened orange roughy is pan fried and served with rice pilaf; Rathgen recommends it for those people who like seafood but don't want a fishy taste.

Crab ravioli includes a few crab claws served in a creamy Provencale sauce.

The chicken canberra is a sauteed chicken breast served over rice pilaf with wild mushrooms, provolone and a Jim Beam whiskey sauce.

Duck isn't a common item on the menu, but roast duck is a light dish served on stir-fried vegetables.

Rathjen said the Stockman's Steakhouse now has a surf and turf special, a 10 ounce steak and a four ounce lobster tail for under $40.

A couple of additions to the dessert menu include the Zango, a New York cheesecake wrapped in a tortilla glazed with cinnamon sugar. There's also a special chocolate mousse with sweet cream and strawberries.

A two-for-one happy hour also debuts this month from 5 to 7 p.m.

Rathjen said that during happy hour, half-priced appetizers and specialty drink prices will be available at the steak house bar.

A new wine list will be unveiled Feb. 14, just in time for Valentine's Day, Rathjen said. Plans are being finalized for that special day, like a sweetheart steak that is cut in half in the shape of a heart.

"We're trying to put together some dishes couples can enjoy together," Rathjen said.