Ravenna Will Soon Get an Exciting New Indian Restaurant From a Rising Star Chef

Chef Preeti Agarwal is feeling sporty. After successfully transitioning her popular Indian tasting menu pop-up Meesha into a full-fledged Fremont dining destination, Agarwal is now ready to put down stakes in Ravenna with Kricket Club, what she calls “a refined but casual” restaurant reminiscent of private member cricket clubs in her native India. It will take over the space formerly occupied by Salare, and hopes to open sometime in October. Seattle PI first reported the news.

While the menu is still coming into focus, Agarwal tells Eater Seattle she wants to feature some takes on Mumbai and New Delhi street fare, alongside larger entrees and desserts, and is excited about showcasing her version of a slow-cooked Hyderabadi dum biryani, as well as dishes that highlight her love of seafood. Diners can expect snacks such as fried prawns, pork ribs, chaat, and Agarwal’s twist on ceviche. While fans of the Meesha may recognize a couple of items that will make the trip over (including the butter chicken), in general Kricket Club is meant to be a “very different” experience, she says.

Despite the name, there won’t be any TVs for watching games, but Agarwal — born and raised in Uttar Pradesh — wants to cultivate a revelrous atmosphere, with some inventive turmeric and star anise-flavored cocktails garnished with shrubs made onsite, plus Bira 91 beer (which is not always easy to track down here in the States). And though there is a sort of an exclusive vibe to cricket clubs in India, her restaurant is meant to be a welcoming environment for all, with approachable food and drinks that represent a wide swath of Indian cuisine.

Agarwal and her team are currently doing some light renovation work and continued recipe testing in anticipation of the fall opening. Depending on the status of COVID cases in the coming days and weeks, the chef says she’s pondering whether to require proof of vaccination for entry both at Meesha and Kricket Club, but hasn’t made a final decision yet. Even among uncertainty about the state of Seattle dining during the pandemic, Agarwal can’t wait to debut the new venture. “I’m always looking to change the perception of Indian food here in Seattle,” she says.

• Kricket Club Comes to Seattle’s Ravenna Neighborhood [Seattle PI]
• All coverage of Meesha [ESEA]