The dining room at Okta. | Janey Wong/Eater Portland The two-year-old fine dining restaurant announced its closure on September 23 Chef Matthew Lightner’s ambitious McMinnville tasting menu restaurant, Okta, suddenly closed on September 22 after two years in operation at the Tributary Hotel. The restaurant announced the closure on its Instagram account on September 23, writing that the “difficult decision” to close Okta had been made. The statement thanked Lightner and noted that the team is “filled with gratitude as [they] reflect on the overwhelmingly positive response from guests who experienced Okta.” Okta first opened in July 2022 to widespread acclaim. It was well known for serving a micro seasonal, locally sourced menu featuring produce and proteins from the Pacific Northwest and the restaurant’s farm, located just seven miles away. “You’re going to have ingredients and dishes that will only be here for a short period of time,” Lightner told Eater in 2022. “That’s our goal, to be in the moment.” Lightner declined to provide further comment on the closure of the restaurant. A statement provided to Eater from the restaurant noted more updates will be provided in the coming weeks. Lightner made a name for himself cooking at fine dining restaurants including Mugaritz in Spain, Noma in Denmark, and Portland’s now-closed fine dining destination Castagna. In 2022, he returned to Oregon to open Okta in a 100-year-old building in downtown McMinnville. Lightner partnered with Katie Jackson and Shaun Kajiwara of Jackson Family Wines for the restaurant and tapped Ron Acierto of Willamette Valley’s Jory to serve as beverage director. Okta offered a glimpse of what the future of dining in Oregon’s wine country could be, putting it in the same conversation as acclaimed restaurants like Healdsburg’s SingleThread and Yountville’s French Laundry. At the time of closing, the restaurant offered a tasting menu for $295 a person, with a wine pairing available for an additional $190. The summer menu featured locally sourced produce like Oregon wagyu, rockfish, squash blossoms, fig leaf, and chrysanthemum, plus lacto-fermented honey, fir tip liquid shio koji, and tomato vinegar from the larder. Although the menu constantly rotated, past dishes included foie gras, nasturtium flowers, and honey; carrot, caramelized farro, and sea urchin; and chocolate, hazelnut, and chicory. In 2024, Lightner was tapped as a James Beard Semifinalist for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific, and in 2023, The New York Times named Okta one of the 50 most exciting restaurants in the country. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Evan Sung Crab at Okta. Evan Sung Duck with Hinona turnip at Okta.