Okta (restaurant)

Restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon, U.S.

Okta

Restaurant information
Established| July 2022 (2022-07)
Owner(s)|

* Matthew Lightner
* Katie Jackson
* Shaun Kajiwara

Manager(s)|

* Christine Langelier
* Saruh Wynes

Head chef| Matthew Lightner
Food type| Pacific Northwest
Street address| 618 Northeast 3rd Street
City| McMinnville
County| Yamhill
State| Oregon
Postal/ZIP Code| 97128
Country| United States
Coordinates| 45°12′35.5″N 123°11′34.5″W﻿ / ﻿45.209861°N 123.192917°W﻿ / 45.209861; -123.192917
Seating capacity| 26 people
Website| www.oktaoregon.com

Okta (stylized as ōkta) was a Pacific Northwest restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon.[1][2] Established in July 2022, the fine dining restaurant was included in The New York Times's 2023 list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States. Okta closed permanently in September 2024.

## Description

[edit]

The restaurant's name was taken from the word "okta", a unit of measurement for cloud cover.[3] Okta's main building was renovated from a hardware store,[4] while the surrounding farm was previously a cherry orchard.[3] Okta had a seating capacity of 26 people.[5]

Serving Pacific Northwest cuisine, the restaurant's menu included lacto-fermented peppers with rockfish and morels with caviar and in-house brioche.[6] Other dishes included hazelnut tofu and cedar-smoked caviar.[4] The menu rotated seasonally,[7] and ingredients were sourced from their own farm.[3][4]

## History

[edit]

Okta was established in July 2022 by chef Matthew Lightner and vineyard owners Katie Jackson and Shaun Kajiwara.[3][6] Lightner previously worked at restaurants including Castagna, Noma, and Atera.[4][6]

The restaurant closed permanently in September 2024.[8]

## Reception

[edit]

Okta was a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Awards in the category "Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific".[9] The restaurant was included in The New York Times's 2023 list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States[6] and in Time magazine's 2023 list of the World's Greatest Places in Willamette Valley.[4]

## See also

[edit]

* Food portal
* Oregon portal

* List of defunct restaurants of the United States
* List of Pacific Northwest restaurants

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Zusman, Michael C. (September 9, 2022). "ōkta, the New McMinnville Restaurant Helmed by Michelin-Starred Chef Matthew Lightner, Is Off to a Stellar Start". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
2. ^ Ulla, Gabe (August 3, 2022). "At Ōkta, Bespoke Dining Levels Up". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
3. ^ a b c d Ligori, Crystal (December 22, 2023). "Oregon's ōkta restaurant takes farm-to-table one step further". OPB. Archived from the original on July 1, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
4. ^ a b c d e Derenzo, Nicholas (March 16, 2023). "Willamette Valley, Oregon: World's Greatest Places 2023". Time. Archived from the original on September 23, 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2024.
5. ^ Brooks, Karen (November 28, 2022). "Review: At Okta, Chef Matthew Lightner Plants the Seeds for Oregon's Next Food Revolution in McMinnville". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on March 29, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
6. ^ a b c d Anderson, Brett; Bonisteel, Sara; Clark, Melissa; Gallagher, Brian; Krishna, Priya; Mishan, Ligaya; Moskin, Julia; O'Malley, Julia; Park, Eleanore; Rao, Tejal; Richardson, Nikita; Severson, Kim; Wells, Pete (September 19, 2023). "The Restaurant List 2023: Okta". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
7. ^ Michelman, Jordan (January 9, 2024). "Where to Eat in Portland, OR". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on June 15, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
8. ^ Roland, Rebecca (September 24, 2024). "Ambitious Oregon Tasting Menu Restaurant Okta Suddenly Closes". Eater Portland. Retrieved September 24, 2024.
9. ^ Wong, Janey (January 24, 2024). "Here Are Oregon's Semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards". Eater. Archived from the original on June 29, 2024. Retrieved June 30, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Tributary Hotel official website