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 has a seating capacity of 26 people.[5]
Serving Pacific Northwest cuisine, the restaurant's menu includes lacto-fermented peppers with rockfish and morels with caviar and in-house brioche.[6] Other dishes include hazelnut tofu and cedar-smoked caviar.[4] The menu rotates seasonally,[7] and ingredients are sourced from their own farm.[3][4] The Tributary Hotel, located upstairs, offers in-room breakfast service.[7]
History
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]
Reception
Okta was a semifinalist for the 2024 James Beard Awards in the category "Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific".[8] 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]