I have been quite a few times to Hotel Valley Ho lately. They have great food, perfect ambiance and lots of fun events each month.

One of the most recent events I attended was the “Beer Vs. Wine” dinner, where ZuZu teamed up with Huss Brewing Company and Arizona Stronghold wines for a super fun showdown.

Super talented chef Russell LaCasce crafted a unique five course menu that guests paired with selected beers and wines. At the end of each course, they voted to choose the best pairing.

Let me tell you that I thought I had pretty set likes and dislikes when it came to beer and wine. Also, I thought that certain food, flavors, textures were better with one or the other, you know red wines with dark meats, white wines with seafood and so on, but I changed my mind almost on every course.

I also have to admit that I am not a regular beer drinker. Don’t take me wrong, I love a good ice cold beer but it is a pleasure that I enjoy sporadically.

The Menu

As I mentioned, chef Russell LaCasce is one talented local chef. I had the chance to watch with him the episode of Guy’s Groceries Games were he brought home the grand prize.

I really appreciate the way he creates unique and unexpected combinations of flavor and texture, the way the ingredients intermingle in his dishes is always a joy to my palate.

Enjoy some pictures of the amazing spread that chef LaCasce prepared for us. Huge thanks to my friend Malorie for being such a fun date and keeping track of the winners on each course!

Stay tuned for more events like this, I will definitely keep you in the loop for upcoming diners like this at Valley Ho.

First Course:

Kauai Pawns in chili butter
Beer-Scottsdale Blonde
Wine-Tazu white
Winner- Beer

Second Course:

Crispy Duck Confit on Toast
Beer- The Husstler Milk Stout
Wine- Dala Chardonnay
Winner- Beer

Third Course:

Smoked Fried Chicken + “Burnt End” Biscuits
Beer- Cooper State IPA
Wine- Nachise Red
Winner- Wine

Fourth Course:

Beef Cheek Grilled Cheese
Beer- The Husstler Alt Amber
Wine- Mangus Ref
Winner- Wine

Fifth Course:

Caramelia Pot de Creme
Beer- Koffee Kolsh
Wine- Dayden Rose
Winner- Beer

Overall dinner was fabulous. I loved the lively friendly competition between this two Arizona companies. They did a fantastic job at choosing their pairings and for sure they made our job as judges very hard.