BY MIKE PUCKETT

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Veritas Steak and Seafood is located on US 59 (The Southwest Freeway) in Sugar Land. If you are visiting from out of town, or simply live in the neighborhood, Veritas Steak and Seafood is the perfect place to experience delicious cuisine and cocktails.

The Rios family has been providing Houstonians with a fine dining experience since 2005. Their latest restaurant, Veritas, means “Truth”. Executive Chef Taylor Salazar & Chef Alex Mendoza are doing amazing things in the kitchen here in Southwest Houston – and that’s the truth!

Everything here at Veritas is fresh. The USDA Prime Beef and seafood are brought in daily and the pasta is made in-house by the two chefs. Is THAT something you would be interested in? Ha!

I’m not a wine snob, but I do enjoy a nice glass with fine meal. The wine cellar at Veritas Steak and Seafood – which houses a selection of over 300 wines from around the world – is kept at a constant 58 degrees. You can reserve this room for large groups. I stepped in quick and wow… nice break from the 90 degree August heat in our lovely city. I do recommend.

I plan to return when it’s not as hot and enjoy the veranda. This is the perfect spot for a nice sunset dinner with that special someone. You get beautiful views and a nice breeze off Brooks Lake.

We sat in the exquisite dining room where our server brought us the first of our many cocktails that evening. I could tell this night was going to be SOMETHING SPECIAL! First, we enjoyed the Veritas Martini – a masterpiece of Hendrick’s Gin, basil, Solerno Blood Orange Liquor and fresh lime juice. Gin Martinis are my favorite and the orange and lime flavor had my night off to the right start.

The Berry Martini was another hit with the table – a delightful mix of Muddled Berries, Tito’s Vodka, Chambord and home-made Sweet & Sour. This berry good Martini was sweet and tart – which made a nice complement to the smooth Vodka. The Martinis are just amazing here at Veritas!

Everyone I had spoken to before coming had recommended the Fried Lobster Tails  and I quickly found out why. The fresh Fried Lobster is served in the shell along with a Sweet Thai Chili. These bite-size chunks of heaven had us fighting over who would get the last one. Sweet, crunchy Fried Lobster. You must order this as a starter… you can thank me later!

We also ordered  a local favorite, Lamb Lollipops with Spicy Hoisin. The sweet and salty Hoison Sauce played quite nicely with the sweet strawberries which sat on top of the Lollies. In one bite, I removed all the meat from the bone and instantly got that rush only food can provide. The Lamb Lollipops at Veritas Steak and Seafood are a solid option to start things off.

We enjoyed several entrees family-style, but the two stand-outs were the Green Eggs and Ham Burger and, of course, the 22 oz. Prime Bone-in Rib-eye. Neither of these dishes are for the faint of heart. This is the real deal right here.

The Green Eggs and Ham Burger is best described by looking at the photography for yourself. The fried egg, drizzled with green sauce, covers a couple strips of bacon, tomatoes, onions and pickles. All that wealth is sitting on top of prosciutto lettuce, an all-beef patty, Pepper Jack cheese, guacamole and a farm-fresh piece of ham. Every bite captures the essence of this amazing burger. It was served open-face and when I put the top on and took a bite… fireworks!

The 22 oz. Prime Bone-in Rib-eye was something I had been highly anticipating. I mean, that’s why you go to a steak restaurant, right? This perfectly-prepared, USDA Prime piece of beef was served with Truffle Butter, Garlic Whipped Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus. After the first bite, I couldn’t put my fork down! The Rib-eye was so rich it made my cheeks pucker. The Garlic Whipped Potatoes were creamy and oh, so good. As the juices from the steak mixed with the potatoes, it provided one seriously flavorful bite after another. I had a grin from ear to ear.

We sampled three different desserts. That’s right, it was the weekend and we were having a good time. As was recommended, we tried the Chocolate Cake, the Key Lime Pie and the Cheesecake.

The Chocolate Cake was stacked layer after layer with Homemade Toffee, Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Mousse and Chocolate Ganache. The chocolate was endorphin-sweet and, along with the salty toffee, provided the combo that makes this dessert what you must order if you are a chocolate fan. I still can’t get it out of my mind!

Next up was the Key Lime Pie. I find that Key Lime Pie just doesn’t get the respect it deserves. This beautiful work of art had the most amazing Pistachio Graham Cracker Crust. Deliciously sweet and creamy with just the right proportion of lime.

And finally, the Cheesecake topped off our trio of desserts at Veritas Steak and Seafood. A very finely-cut piece of sweet cheese was presented to the table with a beautiful red strawberry sauce delicately poured on top. Everyone enjoyed one bite of this decadent dessert. Oh, how I wanted just one more!

I grew up in Southwest Houston and don’t recall many fine dining restaurants in the area as a young adult. Oh, how things have changed! Sugar Land is a thriving area of town for sure. Veritas Steak and Seafood is worth the drive, but if you live in the area and have not enjoyed a night here… you are definitely missing out.

 

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1st Course

Fried Lobster

Sweet Thai chili

 

Lamb Lollipops 

Spicy Hoisin

 

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

lemon butter sauce + capers

 

Paired with:

Veritas Martini

Hendricks Gin, Basil, Solerno Blood Orange Liquor & Fresh Lime Juice

Berry Martini

Muddled Berries, Tito’s Vodka, Chambord & homemade sweet & sour

 

 

2nd Course

Veritas Salad

Mixed greens + feta + strawberries + candied pecans + honey mustard

 

3rd Course

Meat Ravioli 

Beef + pork + Italian Sausage + bolognese sauce

 

Paired with: 2012 Northstar Winery Columbia Valley Merlot

The 2012 vintage has rich concentrated aromas of cherry, raspberry and chocolate that lead into flavors of cedar and vanilla with a lingering toasted oak finish. This highly structured wine was created to enjoy now, or for many years to come as it will age gracefully

 

Red Snapper

Poached in extra virgin olive oil + tarragon cream + mushroom risotto

 

Paired with: Sauvignon Blanc, Villa Maria, Marlborough, New Zealand

Crisp and vibrant wine has aromas of fresh snow peas, zesty limes and freshly picked herbs such as thyme and sage. On the palate, juicy acidity is balanced with flavors of melon, passionfruit and ruby grapefruit, capturing the essence of Marlborough

 

Green Eggs & Ham Burger

Fried egg + pepper jack + guacamole + prosciutto lettuce + tomatoes + onions

 

22 oz. Prime Bone-In Ribeye

With truffle butter, garlic whipped potatoes and grilled asparagus

 

Crab Mac & Cheese

 

All paired with: 2012 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon

Intense with aromas of dark cherry and red plum. Notes of violet and blueberry jam come through on the mid-palate along with nuanced spice and licorice. The concentrated mouthfeel and soft tannins are a testament to this great vintage, coating the palate with a lingering red fruit finish

 

4th Course

Chocolate Cake

Layers of chocolate cake with homemade toffee, dulce de leche, chocolate mousse

with chocolate ganache

 

Key Lime Pie

Traditional Key Lime Pie with our pistachio graham cracker crust

 

Cheese Cake

With strawberry topping

 

PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE PUCKETT