Our event Friday night was full of terrific food and Bocce Ball!  We went to Pinstripes in Northbrook and it was lots of fun.  First, the complex is great.  There is an elegant bar and wine cellar with a sophisticated Italian-American Bistro.  I had short ribs and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert.  The food was good, but the fun part was the bocce ball.  Bocce ball is an Italian game that most closely resembles bowling except it is usually played on a lawn.  I had never played before, but neither had most of the other 45 or so people in attendance.  Staff helped us get started and it was easy to play (though I was not good)!  They also have outdoor courts that would have been great if the weather wasn’t 5 degrees.  I played for about an hour.  A lot of people stayed after and relaxed at the bar.  I assume since it was Friday no one was in a hurry to get home.  It was a good group and people seemed to really enjoy themselves.