Eat This Now: Chicken and Andouille Sausage Paella from Veritas Whiskey and Wine Grill

Chicken and Andouille Sausage Paella at Veritas Whiskey and Wine Grill. // Photo by Kat Alfieri

Veritas Whiskey and Wine Grill is upscale American fare with an international touch found at Prairiefire in Overland Park. The cozy dining room is snug with walls of black leather booths and a wrap-around bar that sits under a television display with any live sports game you can imagine. It’s a place to come for a date, to watch a game, or perhaps even both.

Combing through the drink menu, you can expect to find innovative cocktails, a house-selected wine list, and an extensive whiskey collection. Their appetizers and entrees stay faithful to the char of an American grill but take occasional international detours. Menu highlights include appetizer selections of Honey Whipped Goat Cheese and Maryland Blue Crab Cake, and popular entree selections of Steak Chimichurri and Chicken Veritas.

However, it was the Chicken and Andouille Sausage Paella that caught my eye. This Cajun twist on a classic Spanish dish sits in its very own section of the menu and is specified to serve three to four people. It’s a family meal cooked and served in-house, and at a price point of $39.90, it’s a filling portion of upscale cuisine to split amongst a small group of people or even a dinner date—Plan for leftovers.

Heaps of tender blackened chicken and andouille sausage sit atop a bed of onions, red and green peppers, and rice stewed in a tomato and saffron broth, all garnished with a modest hand of green onion and parsley. The andouille sausage is light on the salt and communicates a tingle of spice that doesn’t overstay its welcome while the onions and peppers give a slight crunch to the meal to contrast the pillowy texture of the rice. Not one element dominates over another, making every bite of this dish uniform to the last.

Veritas Whiskey and Wine Grill is located at 5621 W 135th St Suite 2620, Overland Park, KS 66223.