Two Very Different Restaurants of 2018 Are Closing

Two restaurant that opened last year won’t make it to their first anniversaries. Moderna Kouzina was the creatively spelled modern cuisine restaurant at 50th and France that took over the former Mozza Mia location. The dining room and menu were built as no-expense-spared elegance by it’s chef/interior designer, including gold leaf built into the walls. Menu prices that reflected the opulence. At the time of opening, owner Ashii Vrohidis told the Star Tribune that the name translated to “modern cuisine” from at least “six different languages” with varying spellings. According to the restaurant’s website Vrohidis is battling an undisclosed illness that prevents her from being able to operate the business. She writes, “My rare medical conditions have advanced to a state where I am no longer able to run MK.” A previous public Facebook post on February 15 also mentioned person struggles. It’s unclear how long the restaurant has been closed.

Just/Us, the altruistic restaurant at the corner of St. Peter’s and 7th Street in downtown Saint Paul is losing its location as the building has been sold to developers. Run by a chef collective it operates with rotating menus serving creative whims, which meant everything from burgers for lunch to affordable tasting menus. The restaurant announced plans to close on April 20.

Edit: an earlier version of this article misstated the opening date of Just/Us.

• Modern Cuisine Coming to 50th and France in a Big Way [STRIB]
• A First Look at Just/Us: St. Paul’s New Affordable Tasting Menu Restaurant [CP]