Rustica is located in downtown Moorhead, MN. We boast a cozy neighborhood atmosphere in the historic 1898 Kassenborg Block building, just east of the Main Avenue bridge.
The Eatery features a rustic ambiance with exposed brick creating a warm, comfortable dining experience. Executive Chef Micah Leitel is dedicated to offering high quality, seasonally focused products and executes the diverse menu based on traditional American fare with European influences.
The Tavern’s wood burning pizza oven and copper beer taps spawn a more casual bar atmosphere. The innovative pizza menu is fun and the pizzas are exceptional.
Parking is available on the street, as well as in the parking ramp southwest of the building.
Co-Owner/Operator
Co-Owner/Executive Chef
Sous Chef
Private Dining & Event Coordinator
Having spent nearly half of her life working in restaurants, ownership was the obvious next step for General Manager & Owner, Anna Weisenburger. Growing up on a farm near Spiritwood, North Dakota offered Anna an early introduction to the farm-to-table culinary concept. At one point while attending college in Valley City, she worked in three restaurants at once–and still ended up with student loan debt!–including her favorite job at an order-off-the-menu Chinese restaurant. After moving to Fargo in 2015 and managing a handful of F/M restaurants, Anna seized the opportunity to call Rustica home last spring in the role of Restaurant Manager. The service industry was supposed to be temporary employment, but food and beverage quickly turned into a passion which Anna focuses on the front of house at Rustica.
When not at Rustica, you can find Anna relaxing with her partner, Wolfgang, and their two cats, Bean and Zero. With an adventurous palate, she enjoys visiting the friends she’s made at many of the other local restaurants and sampling their creations. The sense of community Anna has found in the Fargo/Moorhead area was a driving factor in her decision to lay roots and share ownership of a business that she loves.
Executive Chef & Owner, Micah Leitel, uses fresh, locally-sourced products whenever possible to execute a craft menu based on traditional American fare with European influences. As the head of our culinary team, Micah is dedicated to offering high quality seasonally focused menus with a strong emphasis on traditional food preparation that he has learned over the years. Micah’s main goal at Rustica is consistency in the kitchen, as he wants to provide the same experience to patrons as they have come to expect. He aims to offer guests the option to choose their own adventure—whether that be fast-casual in the Tavern or fine dining in the Eatery, the choice is theirs for the evening.
In his spare time, Micah enjoys scratching vinyl with guest appearances for local musicians and spending time with his three cats, Ming Ming, Scarf & Ruby. His passion for all things culinary also extends into his love of artisanal, handcrafted chef’s knives. You can follow Chef Micah Leitel’s inspired offerings on Instagram @dinerustica.