Bringing Back Cocktail Hour - Rotorua, New Zealand

Bringing Back Cocktail Hour in Rotorua!People do not tend to give the North Island of New Zealand enough credit.  It possesses a different kind of beauty and allure than its neighbor to the south.  One North Island town we loved is Rotorua, an "active" town...Active with geothermal activity.  Bubbling hot springs and steam vents can be found next to the streets, in parks, and by homes; it's literally everywhere you look.  One other thing Rotorua has going for it is a selection of great restaurants.

Scott, our Bring Back Cocktail Hour sponsor, helped us end a hectic day with rewarding food and drink at the Leonardo's Pure Italian, a top spot in the heart of this hot town.  While enjoying a delectable bottle of 2011 Renzo Masi Chianti we read through a bit of Italian trivia - Did you know that in Italy the primary lucky number is 17 and if you order a pizza with pepperoni you will receive a pie with peppers?

We were in the mood for healthier, heartier fare, so we ordered a large Italian salad bursting with peppers, olives and 2 giant mozzarella/prosciutto rolls.  We then moved on to a main course of lamb stuffed with spinach placed atop of variety of vegetables.  It was a filling meal and with no room left for dessert we closed the evening enjoying the last sips of wine.

We would like to thank Scott for feeding our bodies with a delicious dinner and scrumptious wine while also topping off our minds with fun trivia-Italiano.