Portland Monthly November 2007 "Top Ten"    "....While the Minnicks have managed to replicate the chintz-charming ambiance of their former digs, MacLarty has infused the small menu with a Chez Panisse inspired passion for seasonal ingredients. Which means that by sauteeing a dozen tiny, green and mild padron peppers from Viridian Farms and sprinkling them with fleur de sel, MacLarty makes them (and other such ingredients) taste more like the earth they came from than when they were picked.    It also means that in August, his signature creamy souffle is made with sweet corn, summer chanterelles, bright green spinach and cippolini onions; and that in the fall, it contains buttery leeks, roasted cauliflower and celery root. A simple chicken breast paillard comes with a salad of cherry tomatoes, roasted corn, mozzarella and avocado in September, but come December it's breaded and fried, served over a Moroccan-style chickpea and broccoli ragout.    At once rustic and incredibly fresh, this is American slow food at it's finest, served with a signature romantic flair in a dining room that's very, very easy to come home to.

Willamette Week October 17th, 2007       Last fall Lovely Hula Hands moved a few blocks north from its pink house on North Cook Street to a larger space on Mississippi’s main drag and recruited a new head chef—Troy MacLarty, formerly of Simpatica. Both of these bold changes have worked out tremendously well for the restaurant. LHH’s old- fashioned, fetching style, thanks to sister-owners Sarah and Jane Minnick, is the same—mismatched china, antique chandeliers and gilded artwork. But the food is better than ever. Local, seasonal and fresh is always spot- on with mid-summer dishes like corn soup with opal basil, a chanterelle-and-leek tart and wild salmon served with squash and nasturtium butter. (LC) Signature dish: “Cooked under a brick” pan-fried Draper Farms chicken with a caper-studded green sauce, creamy polenta and sautéed haricots verts and tomatoes. Standouts: Beautifully landscaped and hanging-lamp-lit back patio.

Portland Tribune 2007 Dining Guide "Where Portland Eats" The strangest thing about the new Lovely Hula Hands is how much it seems the same as the old Lovely Hula Hands. Both spaces were two-story houses in North Portland, though the second space is much larger and the tables more generously spaced. The menu, now under the direction of chef Troy MacLarty, has dramatically transformed —gone are the Asian influences, for example. But it’s been a mostly seamless tradition with its continued commitment to inventive, seasonal, organic cooking. Most people who know this place really love it and with good reason. The menu always mixes pleasant surprises with comforting favorites like a hefty Painted Hills chuck burger with chili mayo, carmelized onions and lettuce with fries. Simple-sounding dishes like chickpea purée with cumin flatbread are better than seems possible; multiple layers of flavor make it impossible to stop at just a few bites. The smooth texture pairs well with the accompanying crispness of a radish and fennel salad. Vegetarians, or those who wish to emulate them, will find much to like here. One might’s chou farci involved savoy cabbage stuffed with wild mushrooms and butternut squash and served with grainy farro, rainbow carrots and crème fraîche. Spaghetti with arugula pesto and semidried tomatoes is plainer in description but equally impressive in execution. The small menu holds treasures for carnivores, too, typically featuring locally sourced products like Strawberry Mountain rib-eye, Draper Valley Farms chicken and Snake River Farms pork loin (this recently served with a tasty, countrified hash of brussels sprout, sweet potato and potato). The cocktails range from fun and frisky — try the Lovely Hula Hoop with pineapple-infused vodka, lemon and sugar — to a classic margarita and an Old-Fashioned garnished with addictive sour black cherries. There’s also a thoughtful selection of nonalcoholic drinks. With relaxed but efficient servers, you’ll be content to linger over dessert with one of the hot cocktails or excellent coffee. A sweet and sticky date pudding recently was quickly reduced to an empty ramekin with spoons clanking around in it. Whatever you order, you’ll feel in good hands here. — Audrey Van Buskirk