St. Paul's modern Filipino restaurant Kalsada is closing, and more restaurant news

It's been a little more than a year since Leah Raymundo and her spouse, chef John Occhiato, opened Kalsada, a modern Filipino restaurant in St. Paul's Merriam Park neighborhood. Now, the couple have announced that the restaurant will close Sept. 15.

"It has been an amazing run, and we are grateful to have been able to share Kalsada with you, but for now our focus is needed elsewhere," the couple wrote in a statement.

The restaurant (1668 Selby Av., St. Paul, kalsada-stpaul.com) opened as an all-day cafe with coffee drinks, much like their first business, Cafe Astoria. There was also a grab-and-go pastry selection and lunch bites that included traditional Filipino dishes like lumpia and chicken adobo, done with their own personal twist.

Eventually, hours were pared down to dinner and weekend brunch service; this past weekend's brunch was Kalsada's last.

Raymundo and Occhiato encourage fans to stop in for one more meal of adobo or lechon and say goodbye before the 15th. After that, the two will focus on their other two St. Paul restaurants, Cafe Astoria and the adjacent Stella Belle.

Chelas fusion restaurant closes abruptly

Chelas, the south Minneapolis fusion restaurant from chef/owners Luom Bronko Do and Timmy Truong, has closed citing "unforeseen circumstances." The restaurant, at 4751 Nicollet Av. S., was known for blending ingredients into an intriguing blend of cross-cultural flavors that the Star Tribune's critic Jon Cheng called, in the case of the Vietnamese stew Bo Ko Menudo, "incandescent." He gave the restaurant 2½ stars, a rating that highly recommends the restaurant.

The chefs had previously run the kitchens at Fusion Eatery (in downtown St. Paul) and Soul Fu (in Minneapolis' North Loop Galley) before opening Chelas in December 2022.

Treats bringing its sweet cereal and boba to North Loop

Minneapolis' restaurant-dense North Loop neighborhood will be home to a third Treats, the cereal-infused ice cream and boba shop from sibling partners Trisha Seng and Minh Dinh. The North Loop Neighborhood Association reported that Treats will be one of two businesses on the retail level of the under-construction Intersect apartment building at 316 N. 2nd St.

First opened in 2019 on St. Paul's Grand Avenue, the shop was an instant hit with a lineup of Instagram-ready menu items and a steady stream of customers. In addition to the boba and frozen goods, the new location also will serve waffles mixed with cereal, plus hot chocolate, matcha lattes, brown sugar milk teas and more.

A second Treats followed in Blaine (10340 NE. Baltimore St., treatsmn.com); look for the North Loop spot to open before the end of the year.

Tacos coming to Malcolm Yards

It's in with the new at Market at Malcolm Yards as Martes Tacos is set to join the food hall lineup after Labor Day, taking the place of the vegetable-focused Advellum. Martes Tacos will feature a variety of tacos (chicken, beef, pork, fish, vegetarian) served on locally made tortillas. Look for nachos, chips, salsas, guacamole, too.

There's more: the pop-up MY Market is now open, featuring a dozen local food-focused makers, from chocolates and marshmallows to spices and syrups. It will be open through fall.

In addition to the two new vendors, Malcolm Yards is also home to Abang Yoli, Bagu Sushi, Bebe Zito ice cream and burgers, Del Sur, Momo Dosa, Sunday at the Market and Wrecktangle. The food hall is at 501 30th Av. SE., Mpls., malcolmyards.market.

Agra Culture closing its St. Paul location

Local, healthful food mini-chain Agra Culture has announced it will close the Highland Park location on Sept. 3 after six years. In a social media post, the company, run by InnerBloom Hospitality, wrote, "We take pride in being part of the community and creating meaningful connections with our guests. While this chapter may be coming to an end, our goal is to be a continued partner in the community and we will be transitioning into a new concept that will open in the upcoming months." Requests for comment on what the new concept will be were not immediately answered.

Agra Culture fans can visit its three other locations: in Uptown (2939 Girard Av. S., Mpls.), 50th and France (3717 W. 50th St., Mpls.,) and inside the Minneapolis Institute of Art (2400 3rd Av. S.); agra-culture.com.

Momento reopens with Mediterranean focus

After a monthlong closing to refresh both its space and focus, Momento in St. Paul will reopen Sept. 6 with a new menu, new drinks, new space and a new chef.

Aaron Uban is now executive chef of the Morrissey Hospitality restaurant. He's designed a menu that leans on his training and experience in classic Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Think heavy on herbs, spices and seasonal (and locally sourced) ingredients. The menu will include selections of crudo, shareable plates, handmade pastas and mains. Beverage manager Kevin Tester has created a menu of Mediterranean-inspired spirit-forward cocktails, wines from the same region, zero-proof mocktails and handcrafted sodas.

The interior, originally designed by Shea, also has been updated with new textures and palettes. The mural by local artist Adam Turman is still there, but will get a refresh from the artist.

Momento, at 360 St. Peter St., will be open from 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; for more information or reservations, go to momento-stp.com.