Matthew Lightner

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]

Matthew Lightner
Born	1980 Norfolk, Nebraska
Culinary career
Cooking style	Contemporary American
Rating(s) Michelin stars
Previous restaurant(s) L'Auberge Del Mar, Del Mar, California Castagna, Portland, Oregon Heathman Restaurant & Bar, Portland, Oregon Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark Mugaritz, Errenteria, Spain
Website	ateranyc.com

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.^[3][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.