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The family behind the Curry Club and the Meadow Club has officially opened up their latest concept in the former Harbor Grill space in Port Jefferson Village.
SāGhar Indian Fusion Restobar combines Indian cuisine with a Western twist — a celebration of their East Indian heritage and Western upbringing.
Co-owner Kiran Wadhwa said that her family wanted to bring something different to the table. While the Curry Club in Setauket is a staple within the community, she said that SāGhar is totally different.
“This is very different compared to the Curry Club,” she told GreaterPortJeff. “SāGhar is very high end and we hear that people are excited because you never see an Indian restaurant on the water.”
The former Harbor Grill, and Schafer’s before that, was taken over by the Wadhwa family back in February. Shortly after, the coronavirus pandemic hit and they had to put their plans on hold.
During that time, while continuing the redesign of the space, they focused their energies on coordinating a fundraiser for the Health Care Heroes of Long Island and donated over 2,500 meals to over 20 hospitals.
When Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the first day of outdoor dining on Long Island on June 10, the family moved fast utilizing the rooftop dining area of their building for a socially distant experience for customers. They also opened up the harbor room out front, which is indoors with wide-open windows looking onto Main Street.
Named SāGhar, which translates to “Home of the Sea,” it was dedicated to Kulwant Wadhwa, the family’s patriarch, who has run the Curry Club for more than 25 years.
And while customers know to get traditional Indian food at their place down the road, Wadhwa said that SāGhar has something for everyone if they’re worried about trying something new.
“We didn’t want to scare people away,” she said. “We kept a lot of staple dishes from the Harbor Grill like the lobster mac and cheese, and the seafood tower. It’s the perfect blend of American and Indian.”
The Indian fusion trend follows through the entire restaurant from top to bottom. Contemporary artist, Hafsa Khan created more than 15 pieces of art that decorate the walls, showcasing images of modern American and Indian culture. Riwaj Event Décor in Hicksville provided the flower wall decors.
And some things still look familiar to the regulars of the Harbor Grill. The Schooner Room in the back remains untouched, an ode to Port Jefferson’s rich nautical history.
Overlooking the sound, live music from local musicians will be played on the rooftop every Friday and Saturday 6-9 p.m. and Sunday 4-7 p.m. Director of Planet of Sound Promotions Maxwell Peters said that the music he coordinates every weekend will be enjoyable to all.
“We book specifically Long Island musicians and bands,” he said. “Here we’re geared towards singers and songwriters, jazz quartets… all different types of music for a dinner crowd.”
Since it opened its doors, Wadhwa said that people have been coming from all over to enjoy the scenery and try something new. “We’re excited to bring Indian culture to Port Jeff,” she said.
SāGhar is now open Tuesday through Sunday 12 to 10 p.m. for rooftop, outdoor and indoor dining.
Here’s a photo tour of the new SāGhar Indian Fusion Restobar:
All photos by Julianne Mosher
