Larch Seasonal Northwest Pasta is one of the “newer” restaurants in downtown Leavenworth. It opened towards the very end of 2020 and has been busy ever since. It can be found at 214 8th Street, in the alley just behind Front Street. They are open from 4pm to 9pm Monday through Thursday, 4pm to 10pm Friday and Saturday, and they remain closed on Sundays. According to their Facebook page, “Larch Leavenworth is the second restaurant of Spencer Meline and Benjamin Herreid. Building on the success of Wildflour, Leavenworth, Larch will focus on craft cocktails and Northwest influenced small plates and handmade pasta.” Making reservations is highly recommended, as Larch is very difficult to get into without them.
Cascade students seem to really enjoy the food at Larch, but it may be a little bit out of an average high schooler's price range. Senior Madi Gillespie shared that “[she] loved the lasagna and the focaccia bread! It was very filling and rich. [She] also liked the atmosphere of the place, it felt classy,” she went on to describe Larch overall as “very good, expensive but good.” The atmosphere inside Larch is kind of dark, classy, and natural. It fits Leavenworth's beautiful and outdoorsy vibe very well.
Last summer, sophomore Charlie Lyons frequented Larch. He is a big fan of the stuffed shell appetizer and would always get a “virgin margarita with grenadine on the rocks.” The most recent time Charlie visited Larch, he ordered the pappardelle – broad flat pasta ribbons served with ragu of beef, sausage and pancetta, parmesan, and lemon herb ricotta. Charlie explained, “Larch is so good. [He] could literally eat there every day.”
Junior Aiden Tuttle described Larch as “very very good.” He explained that he ordered the lasagna and was happy with it being “nice and gooey” and having “great flavor.” When Aiden ate at Larch, he shared that his server was “pretty chill and friendly,” and Aiden enjoyed the calm environment that Larch creates.
When I went to Larch in October, prior to Homecoming, I ordered the pappardelle, and it was amazing. I loved the sauce, and the ricotta was a wonderful addition to the dish. I’m not usually a big red sauce person but this dish was a major exception. The dish is very elevated by the fact that the pasta is made from scratch and created locally. Additionally, Larch seasonally rotates their meals based on what ingredients are available.
Larch’s menu consists of eight starters, eleven entrées, a kid’s menu with three dishes and one dessert. The restaurant is rated highly, with four and a half stars on Yelp. The entrées start at around $24 (for the pappardelle or the mushroom ravioli) and the most expensive is $36 (the risotto). For all of the pasta being made from scratch, and many of the sauces being homemade, and for being in a tourist town, the price is relatively reasonable. Coming from a highschooler’s perspective (and limited budget), Larch is a great place to eat for special occasions, not an everyday meal.
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