Okta (restaurant)
{{Short description|Restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon, U.S.}}
{{update|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}{{Use American English|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox restaurant
| embed = Okta Comedor
| title =
| logo =Restaurant logo for Okta, 2024.png
| logo_alt =The word "okta" with a straight line above the letter O.
| image =
| image_width =
| image_alt =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map =
| established = {{Start date|2022|7}}
| closed =
| current-owner ={{ubl|Matthew Lightner|Katie Jackson|Shaun Kajiwara}}
| manager = {{ubl|Christine Langelier|Saruh Wynes}}
| head-chef = Matthew Lightner
| food-type = Pacific Northwest
| street-address = 618 Northeast 3rd Street
| city = McMinnville
| county =Yamhill
| state = Oregon
| postcode = 97128
| country = United States
| coordinates = {{Coord|45|12|35.5|N|123|11|34.5|W|type:landmark_region:US-OR|display=inline,title}}
| website ={{URL|https://www.oktaoregon.com/}}
|seating-capacity=26 people}}
Okta (stylized as ōkta) was a Pacific Northwest restaurant in McMinnville, Oregon.{{Cite web |last=Zusman |first=Michael C. |date=2022-09-09 |title=ōkta, the New McMinnville Restaurant Helmed by Michelin-Starred Chef Matthew Lightner, Is Off to a Stellar Start |url=https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/reviews/2022/09/08/okta-the-new-mcminnville-restaurant-helmed-by-michelin-starred-chef-matthew-lightner-is-off-to-a-stellar-start/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221003141722/https://www.wweek.com/restaurants/reviews/2022/09/08/okta-the-new-mcminnville-restaurant-helmed-by-michelin-starred-chef-matthew-lightner-is-off-to-a-stellar-start/ |archive-date=2022-10-03 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Willamette Week |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ulla |first=Gabe |date=2022-08-03 |title=At Ōkta, Bespoke Dining Levels Up |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/08/at-okta-bespoke-dining-levels-up |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325151233/https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2022/08/at-okta-bespoke-dining-levels-up |archive-date=2023-03-25 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Vanity Fair}} 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
The restaurant's name was taken from the word "okta", a unit of measurement for cloud cover. Okta's main building was renovated from a hardware store,{{Cite magazine |last=Derenzo |first=Nicholas |date=March 16, 2023 |title=Willamette Valley, Oregon: World's Greatest Places 2023 |url=https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2023/6261537/willamette-valley-oregon/ |access-date=June 30, 2024 |magazine=Time |archive-date=September 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923192621/https://time.com/collection/worlds-greatest-places-2023/6261537/willamette-valley-oregon/ |url-status=live }} while the surrounding farm was previously a cherry orchard.{{Cite web |last=Ligori |first=Crystal |date=December 22, 2023 |title=Oregon's ōkta restaurant takes farm-to-table one step further |url=https://www.opb.org/article/2023/12/22/okta-restaurant-farm-to-table-food-preservation/ |access-date=June 30, 2024 |website=OPB |archive-date=July 1, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240701004752/https://www.opb.org/article/2023/12/22/okta-restaurant-farm-to-table-food-preservation/ |url-status=live }} Okta had a seating capacity of 26 people.{{Cite web |last=Brooks |first=Karen |date=2022-11-28 |title=Review: At Okta, Chef Matthew Lightner Plants the Seeds for Oregon's Next Food Revolution in McMinnville |url=https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2022/11/okta-restaurant-matthew-lightner-mcminnville-review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329172606/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/eat-and-drink/2022/11/okta-restaurant-matthew-lightner-mcminnville-review |archive-date=2023-03-29 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=Portland Monthly |language=en-US}}
Serving Pacific Northwest cuisine, the restaurant's menu included lacto-fermented peppers with rockfish and morels with caviar and in-house brioche. Other dishes included hazelnut tofu and cedar-smoked caviar. The menu rotated seasonally,{{Cite web |last=Michelman |first=Jordan |date=2024-01-09 |title=Where to Eat in Portland, OR |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/where-to-eat-portland-oregon |access-date=2024-05-22 |website=Bon Appétit |language=en-US |archive-date=June 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240615160242/https://www.bonappetit.com/story/where-to-eat-portland-oregon |url-status=live }} and ingredients were sourced from their own farm.
History
Okta was established in July 2022 by chef Matthew Lightner and vineyard owners Katie Jackson and Shaun Kajiwara. Lightner previously worked at restaurants including Castagna, Noma, and Atera.
The restaurant closed permanently in September 2024.{{Cite web |last=Roland |first=Rebecca |date=2024-09-24 |title=Ambitious Oregon Tasting Menu Restaurant Okta Suddenly Closes |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2024/9/24/24252800/okta-mcminnville-oregon-closing-tasting-menu-matthew-lightner |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Eater Portland |language=en}}
Reception
Okta was a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Awards in the category "Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific".{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Janey |date=January 24, 2024 |title=Here Are Oregon's Semifinalists for the 2024 James Beard Awards |url=https://pdx.eater.com/2024/1/24/24048779/portland-oregon-james-beard-awards-2024-semifinalists |access-date=June 30, 2024 |website=Eater |archive-date=June 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629033851/https://pdx.eater.com/2024/1/24/24048779/portland-oregon-james-beard-awards-2024-semifinalists |url-status=live }} The restaurant was included in The New York Times{{'s}} 2023 list of the 50 best restaurants in the United States{{Cite news |title=The Restaurant List 2023: Okta |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |date=September 19, 2023 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/dining/best-restaurants-america.html#okta |url-status=live |access-date=2023-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230920053102/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/dining/best-restaurants-america.html#okta |archive-date=2023-09-20 |issn=0362-4331 |last1=Anderson |first1=Brett |last2=Bonisteel |first2=Sara |last3=Clark |first3=Melissa |last4=Gallagher |first4=Brian |last5=Krishna |first5=Priya |last6=Mishan |first6=Ligaya |last7=Moskin |first7=Julia |last8=O'Malley |first8=Julia |last9=Park |first9=Eleanore |last10=Rao |first10=Tejal |last11=Richardson |first11=Nikita |last12=Severson |first12=Kim |last13=Wells |first13=Pete }} and in Time magazine's 2023 list of the World's Greatest Places in Willamette Valley.
See also
{{Portal|Food|Oregon}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.oktaoregon.com/}}
- [https://www.tributaryhotel.com/ Tributary Hotel official website]
Category:2022 establishments in Oregon
Category:2024 disestablishments in Oregon
Category:Defunct fine dining restaurants in Oregon
Category:Defunct Pacific Northwest restaurants in Oregon