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"One of the best meals of my life doesn’t exist anymore. A farm-to-table concept born from a 70-acre regenerative farm and fermentation lab, Ōkta was, if you’ll permit me, a revelation to the Willamette Valley region. Chef Matthew Lightner (previously of two-Michelin-starred Atera) carved out Oregon’s most ambitious tasting menu, and despite closing after just two years, the accomplishment left its mark on the community. When I learned of its abrupt closure last fall, I was aghast—and I’m not alone; the barrage of support says it all." - Nicole Kliest