grammaticality - "A variety of X is" vs. "a variety of X are"

Which of the following sentences is correct?

• A variety of dishes are being prepared.


• A variety of dishes is being prepared.

I believe that both can be used, though I'd stick with the plural use of the verb. What do you think?

Answer

Both sentences are grammatical. The first makes us aware of the individual items in the variety. The second foregrounds the variety itself.