Matthew Lightner Explained

Matthew Lightner
Birth Date:	1980
Birth Place:	Norfolk, Nebraska
Style:	Contemporary American
Ratings:	Michelin stars
Prevrests:	L'Auberge Del Mar, Del Mar, California Castagna, Portland, Oregon Heathman Restaurant & Bar, Portland, Oregon Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain

Matthew Lightner is the former executive chef of Atera in New York City, a recipient of two Michelin stars. In 2010, Lightner was named one of the "Best New Chefs in America" by Food & Wine.^[1] ^[2] ^[3]

Career

Lightner was born in Norfolk, Nebraska in 1980. Lightner graduated with high honors from Portland's Western Culinary Institute^[4] in 2001. He trained at Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark until 2009, before moving back to the U.S.^[5] ^[6]

In 2009, he began working at Castagna in Portland, Oregon. He returned to Portland in 2018.^[7]

In July 2022, he opened ōkta in McMinnville, OR.

External links

Atera

Notes and References

Web site: Michelin Star Recipients - 2013 . OpenTable . December 31, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130123215309/http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=8&pid=210 . January 23, 2013 . dead .
Web site: Matthew Lightner . Atera . December 31, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121005003419/http://ateranyc.com/people/matthew-lightner/ . October 5, 2012 . dead .
Web site: A Feast in Disguise . New York Magazine . April 27, 2012 . January 1, 2013 . Platt, Adam . February 13, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130213164957/http://nymag.com/restaurants/reviews/atera-2012-5/ . live .
Web site: Rising Star Chef Matt Lightner of Atera - Biography . StarChefs . 1 March 2019 . 2 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190302090544/https://www.starchefs.com/cook/chefs/bio/matt-lightner . live .
Web site: Introducing: Matthew Lightner . New York Magazine . March 2012 . January 1, 2013 . May 25, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120525204920/http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/spring-food-preview-2012-3/index1.html . live .
Web site: Matt Lightner . Food & Wine . Best New Chefs . January 1, 2013 . December 25, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121225135616/http://www.foodandwine.com/best_new_chefs/matt-lightner . live .
News: Brooks . Karen . Celebrated Chef Matt Lightner to Star at Holiday's Plant-Based Pop-Up Dinner Series . 1 March 2019 . The Portland Monthly . November 20, 2018 . Karen Brooks (food critic) . 2 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190302024804/https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2018/11/20/celebrated-chef-matt-lightner-to-star-at-holiday-s-plant-based-pop-up-dinner-series . live .