[oomph] eats. Cafe Lani Hawaii.

during the holidays, i tried several new eateries in town. on this day, we went to Cafe Lani. i had no idea what to expect here, except that [my friend told me] they had all-you-can-eat bread for $4.99. we arrived around 5pm on a weekday and were seated immediately. 

walking into the restaurant is like walking into someone's home. the interior is white based with wooden accents, fun wall prints, couch-like pillows, and oversized lamps. the open floor plan allows you to see the chefs and bakers at work. we were greeted soon after and had excellent service throughout our dinner.

they are known for their unlimited bread for $4.99 with any entree. if you purchase a combo meal, like we did, the unlimited bread is included. this is a meal in itself! it's not just plain bread and butter...there are six different kinds on my plate, plus more that we didn't even get to try + 4 dipping sauces. they come around with a huge tray of breads. you can pick and choose what you want, but our waitress gave us one of everything to try. we were full before our meal arrived!

i ordered the chicken gratin set, $25; chicken gratin with gravy, french onion soup (or clam chowder), salad, and mini Lani pizza. the salad and french onion soup were really good. the gratin was decent, although i really couldn't eat much more at this point. i tasted a couple bites and packed the rest to take home. i took a bite of the cheese pizza, which was ok, but i also packed that to go. (mini-he appreciated that in the morning for breakfast.)

love the decor.

blueberry soda (with grey goose vodka).

my friend ordered the fedelini porcini cream sauce set, $25; porcini cream pasta + the same items as my combo. the pasta was really good. they also had a dessert menu with lots of yummy looking parfaits, but we were so full. next time!

after the fact, i read a lot of mixed reviews...probably more negative than good...complaining about the wait time, the slow service, the all you can eat bread scam, the prices, etc. we had a great experience, and i look forward to trying other things on their menu.

do you like to try new restaurants?

where have you been lately?

POPSUGAR Must Have Box. December.

december's POPSUGAR Must Have Box did not disappoint. still in the spirit of the holidays, entertaining and/or attending parties, this box provided some fun tools to do just that. little dishes that could be used on the vanity or on the bar cart were my favorites in this box.

in case you're not familiar with POPSUGAR's Must Have Box, it is a monthly subscription box filled with full-sized beauty, fashion, and lifestyle products. for $39.95, you get 6-7 premium items plus a special item thrown in once in a while.

here's what was in december's box:

1 & 2. odeme catchall + ring dish

3. baublebar snowfall pendant

4. winky lux lip pill in bunny

5. mane message date night bobby pins

6. sister's gourmet baker's dozen chocolate chip cookie mix

7. dessange professional hair luxury color restore color protecting top coat serum

this winky lux lip velour in bunny is a cranberry color...perfect for the holidays. i love these little dishes, too! perfect for storing pretty little things like tiny earrings and other jewelry.

keeping my locks shiny with dessange top coat serum. it smells so good!

this cookie mix also makes a great hostess gift if needed. shown here with my favorite mug from POPSUGAR's october box.

do you subscribe to any subscription boxes?

if so, which ones?

*     *     *

join POPSUGAR Must Have now and get the Must Have box for $39.95 or the MINI Must Have for only $18.95!

take $5 off your first month with code: SHOP5

see my october unboxing here.

see my july unboxing here.

see my june Must Have box here.

see my august Must Have box here.

see my november Must Have box here.

see my december Must Have box here.

paisley romper.

on this day, it was the perfect afternoon to hit the beach. the sun was out, the water was clear, the tide was low...and i could enjoy it all in this roomy romper from Driven Boutique. It looks and feels like a dress, but the shorts allowed me to frolic freely.

for as long as i can remember, i always loved paisley prints. (i have the pictures to prove it!) it had an "old" vibe and was usually associated with darker colors like maroons and greens. this bright romper was a fresh new take on paisley.

while many of you may be bundled up for winter, this is a great time to stock up on warm-weather items on sale. you can get this and many other fun items starting an only $8 at drivenboutique.com. use my code: rebecca10 for 10% off your purchase.

(bright paisley romper, $8)

keep up with driven boutique here: shop | instagram