By Dame Liz Barrett

More than 20 Dames and their guests gathered in River Forest on a gorgeous summer afternoon (Sunday, July 16), hosted by Dame Gina Voci and her husband Ed, for a spirited round of Bocce and a Mediterranean-themed feast.

As two tournaments raged on the courts, guests enjoyed wine, Negronis and some beautiful appetizers made by Dames Stacey Ballis, Jeanne McInerney and Jill Haas. While it was all friendly competition, one team of four Dames who were pitted against experienced Bocce players Ed Voci and Susan Parenti managed to consistently evade points for an entire round (against Ed and Susan’s 14 points)!

After the matches, the group returned to Ed and Gina’s beautiful home for a potluck Mediterranean dinner set in the Voci’s gorgeous backyard. Gina prepared homemade pasta with mixed mushrooms and sausages and peppers, while other Dames put the finishing touches on Mediterranean dishes ranging from roasted chicken to a slew of colorful seasonal salads and sides.

Soon the dining room table was laden with food, and everyone circled the table to fill their plates to capacity. The only drawback: pacing ourselves, so we could taste it all – including the desserts, which included mini fig-and-mascarpone parfaits, almond-coconut cake, cheesecake with lemon-blueberries, and summer fruit crostata. (Huge thanks to Gina for providing paper plates and miles of tinfoil for take-home treats!)

Perfectly paired wines from H2Vino’s portfolio completed a delightful summer evening spent with great friends and of course, excellent food. Many agreed that the Dames Who Roll Bocce night is one of the most fun events of the year!