Acclaimed Oregon Restaurant, ōkta, Announces Solstice in the Fields, Weekend Event Featuring World-Class Chefs

Weekend Lineup Includes an Intimate Tasting Dinner at ōkta from Renowned Visiting Chefs, 

and a Celebration at ōkta Farm with Local Chefs, Wineries, and More

McMinnville, Ore. (March 22, 2023) – ōkta, the new and award-winning fine dining restaurant from Chef Matthew Lightner in McMinnville, Oregon, is excited to announce Solstice in the Fields, a weekend of events that includes an intimate tasting dinner at ōkta from five world-renowned chefs, and a celebration at ōkta Farm where guests will enjoy incredible food from Oregon chefs and some of the best wines and products in the region from Saturday, June 24 - Sunday, June 25. 

Chefs from around the world will travel to Oregon’s famed Willamette Valley for this exciting weekend of collaboration, creativity and celebration. Participating chefs will explore local ingredients from ōkta Farm and sustainable connections to our region as they dive into creativity and research, hyper seasonality and uniqueness, sustainable seafoods, and rare and wild ingredients. 

Tickets will be available starting on Friday, March 31st at 9am via ōkta’s Resy page, with tickets available to each event as well as a VIP package including an overnight stay at the Tributary Hotel. 

Chef’s Tasting Dinner at ōkta for 36 people on Saturday, June 24th: $650 dinner price with beverage and gratuity included

ōkta Farm presents: Solstice in the Fields for 100 people on Sunday, June 25th: 

General Admission 4-6pm $200

Premium Admission with Early Access 3-4pm $300

VIP Package: Standard Room Rate includes a guaranteed reservation for the Chef’s Tasting Dinner on Saturday and complimentary Premium Admission with Early Access to Solstice in the Fields on Sunday.

Chef’s Tasting Dinner at ōkta on Saturday, June 24 

ōkta will host an exceptional dining experience with five celebrated chefs, each preparing two courses based on their unique culinary points of view and philosophies, using produce from ōkta Farm for an intimate group of 36 guests. The celebration will feature expressions of culinary directions from around the world as a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration dinner in the heart of Oregon Wine Country.

The chefs coming together for this special event are: 

  • Aitor Zabala, renowned Spanish chef of Michelin-starred restaurant Somni in Los Angeles, California  

  • Aisha Ibrahim, executive chef at Seattle’s landmark fine-dining destination Canlis

  • Christopher Kostow, James Beard Award-winning chef of three Michelin-starred The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa Valley, California

  • Leandro Carriera, chef of renowned seafood restaurant The Sea, The Sea in London, England

  • Matt Lightner, chef/partner of award-winning ōkta at Tributary Hotel in McMinnville, Oregon

ōkta Farm Presents: Solstice in the Fields on Sunday, June 25

An afternoon of elevated live fire cooking from Oregon chefs at ōkta Farm will showcase the best of the Northwest, with 100 tickets available. Participating chefs will showcase their own unique philosophies and regionalities, with a focus on regeneration, live fire and the elements. Guests will taste through an abundance of locally grown and raised products, understand the personalities and philosophies behind the dishes, and experience the ingredients that make the Oregon culinary scene one of the most vibrant in the world. Guests will also enjoy some of the best wines and products in the region from producers that share our same core values, and have a chance to meet the people behind their beautiful craft and stories. 

  • Local chefs

    • Earl Ninson - Eem 

    • Lauro Romero - Clandestino 

    • Jason Barwikowski - Hiyu 

    • Taylor Manning - Cafe Olli 

    • Will Preisch - Abbey Road Farm

    • Kari Kihara - MAC Market

    • ōkta team

  • Wineries 

    • Beaux Freres

    • Sequitur

    • Brickhouse

    • Bergstrom

    • RR

    • Adelsheim

    • Hiyu

    • Hundred Suns

    • Gran Moraine

    • Penner Ash

    • Corollary

    • Non-alcoholic option from ōkta bar and larder

  • Artisans

    • Salt & Straw 

    • Cloudforest Chocolate

    • Killdeer Distilling 

“This event is a collaboration between chefs, producers and the land we work on.” Says ōkta Chef Matthew Lightner, “At Solstice in the Fields, world-class chefs will descend on our valley sharing their culinary and environmental philosophies. Guests will not only have the opportunity to taste through an abundance of locally grown and raised products from the ōkta Farm, but will come to understand the personalities and philosophies behind the dishes and ingredients that make our culinary scene one of the most vibrant in the world. I look forward to everyone experiencing the most innovative and exciting chefs, wineries, and artisans with an opportunity to clearly experience the makers.” 

About ōkta: 

In July 2022, Chef Matthew Lightner and partners debuted ōkta at Tributary Hotel in McMinnville, where luxury accommodations pay homage to the region, offering a bespoke hospitality experience inspired by the Valley.

At ōkta, Lightner, formerly of two-star Michelin Atera in New York City, offers a highly progressive tasting menu that draws inspiration from the bounty of the Valley and the cadence of its micro-seasons. Dishes are fastidiously crafted with an eye for the unexpected while reflecting the harvest from the restaurant’s nearby farm, Lightner’s creative playground and test kitchen. Through his continuously evolving menu, Lightner tells a story of terroir, inviting guests to join him on a culinary adventure that reveals a moment in time within the region. Dishes reflect the harvest from ōkta Farm. Offerings are thoughtfully presented on service pieces from local ceramicists such as Lilith Rockett, Natasha Alfonse, and Lindsay Oesterritter with table linens from Madre, further evocative of the restaurant’s distinct sense of place and commitment to honoring the area’s purveyors and artisans.

Wine & Beverage Director Ron Acierto complements the culinary experience with a program that showcases well-balanced, curated offerings from all wine growing and producing regions of the world with a focus on the Willamette Valley. The expansive list features a diverse range of current releases, library, vertical vintages, unlimited production and reserve bottles exclusive to ōkta and the property. A full bar program similarly speaks to the bespoke experience with small-batch and regional producers spotlighted. 

ōkta aspires to give voice to the beauty of the Willamette Valley, inviting each guest to engage with the region’s story. General Manager Christine Langelier works in tandem with Lightner to express ōkta’s signature style of hospitality.

Located directly below ōkta, the Cellar Bar run by Bartender Amithyst Stewart, is an intimate lounge serving classically inspired cocktails and some of the world’s best spirits. The bar is an extension of the kitchen and lives in the moment, moving in tandem with nature, giving guests new experiences. A la carte food selections are also available, exclusive to the Cellar Bar. 

Since opening, ōkta was named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in 2022, received a 2023 James Beard Award semi-finalist nomination for Best New Restaurant, was selected as one of TIME’s 2023 World's Greatest Places in the Willamette Valley, and became a Relais & Châteaux property in 2023.    

Dinner reservations for ōkta are available Wednesday to Sunday evenings through Resy. The Cellar is open 5-10pm Wednesday through Saturday and 4-9pm on Sunday. Reservations for a lounge table can be made in advance by calling the reservations team at 503-376-5353.

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