Twenty years in the making: Carta brings Chef Ben Herreid’s culinary vision to Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH – Nearly a year after opening its doors, Carta is preparing to become the restaurant Chef Ben Herreid always envisioned.

This August, the downtown Leavenworth restaurant will unveil a new multi-course dining experience inspired by the landscapes, ingredients and seasons of the Pacific Northwest; the culmination of a culinary philosophy Herried has spent more than two decades developing.

“It is probably 20 years in the making for me to come out with this concept,” said Herried, owner and executive chef of Larch Restaurant Group alongside business partner Spencer Meline. 

Located in the former Watershed Cafe space, Carta is the newest restaurant in the group’s growing portfolio. The fine dining restaurant features seasonal Pacific Northwest cuisine, curated wines and handcrafted cocktails centered on locally sourced ingredients and thoughtful hospitality.

When Carta opened last October, however, Herreid knew it was not yet the restaurant he intended it to be.

“We did not really put out the concept that we really wanted to,” he said. “In August, we are going to launch the original vision for the restaurant, which is like a choose-your-ownadventure dining experience that takes you through various routes through the Pacific Northwest.”

The customizable tasting menu will allow guests to explore different flavors, ingredients and landscapes of the region while experiencing dishes that require the kind of preparation only a smaller, fine dining kitchen can provide.

“If you are a chef, your dream is always to do that,” Herreid said. “Have the time, have the place, to do the nicest things that take time and effort.”

For Herreid, that dream began long before Carta.

Growing up in a large family in Vermont, he often volunteered to cook meals. At 20 years old he opened a sandwich shop, specializing in Vermont meats and cheeses.

“It failed nice and miserably,” he said, “but it was a really good learning experience.”

After a brief career in synonymous with his work: mushroom ravioli, a dish that remains on the menu today. sales, Herred returned to professional kitchens, where seven years working under Italian chef Alisa Marzano sparked what would become the defining thread of his career: handmade pasta.

“That is the through line of my career,” he said. “Everything is related to pasta”

He later launched Arista Pasta and Specialty Foods, producing fresh pasta for farmers markets, restaurants and small retailers throughout western Washington. One item in particular became synonymous with his work: mushroom ravioli, a dish that remains on the menu today.

“I was selling that recipe 15, 17 years ago at farmers markets,” he said. “That was the signature ravioli of my career.”

Moving to Leavenworth in 2017 marked another turning point. While working at Visconti’s, Harreid met frontof-house-manager Spencer Meline. Recognizing that their skills complemented one another, the pair opened Wildflour at Kahler Glen Golf & Ski Resort before launching Larch and Prusik Kitchen + Bar in downtown Leavenworth.

When the owners of Watershed Cafe approached them about taking over the space, they saw an opportunity to create something different. The transition, however,  proved more difficult than expected. Construction delays, contractor issues and a series of challenging events affecting the community postponed the opening until Oct.  31, leaving little time to establish the restaurant before the slower winter season.

Now, nearly a year later, Herreid believes the restaurant is finally ready to become what he originally imagined.

The Pacific Northwest serves as both inspiration and pantry.

“Mushrooms play the biggest part of my culinary experience,” Herreid said.

Wild mushrooms gathered by local foragers, produce from nearby farms and seafood from regional fisheries shape a menu that changes with the seasons. The approach reflects the philosophy shared across all three Larch restaurants: provide fresh seasonal ingredients that shape Carta’s evolving menu: handcrafted food, regional ingredients and genuine hospitality.

For Herreid, supporting the community extends beyond sourcing local ingredients.

“We know that the local community supports us, and we like to support the community in return,” he said. “We’ve tried to be very community oriented in every enterprise.”

That commitment has taken many forms over the years, from providing meal kits to local families during the pandemic to hosting community dinner at Prusik. Carta’s official launch dinner on Aug. 5 will continue that tradition, with all proceeds benefiting Upper Valley MEND.

For Herreid, Carta represents more than the newest addition to Rusty Large Restaurant Group. It is the destination that every previous kitchen, business and has been leading toward: a place where he finally has the time, ingredients and creative freedom to fully express the style of cooking he has spent more than 20 years refining.