Southington Restaurant Shares Signature Dish During Closure

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The owners of a popular Southington restaurant are trying to make the most of a temporary, coronavirus-related closure by offering a signature dish at a sister restaurant.

That's the case at Anthony Jacks in Southington.

"Even though our space is temporarily out of commission, we have passed the cranberry chicken torch on to our sister restaurant, Tavern 42, the owners said in a Facebook post.

The restaurants are located at 30 Center Street and 42 West Main St., respectively.

The owners of Anthony Jacks said they were notified Saturday morning that one of their employees tested positive for the coronavirus.

"We made the decision to shut down the restaurant for a few days to allow time for staff to get tested and to do a thorough deep cleaning of the restaurant," they said. "The team member that tested positive did not have direct contact with the public. However we feel this decision is in the best interest of our staff, our guests and the community."

The said safety was paramount in the decision.

Until a re-opening announcement, the famed cranberry chicken will be available family style at Tavern 42 (it serves four for $29.95 and comes with a tray of penne alla vodka, salad, bread & butter).

The owners said the it's been a rough stretch with the virus.

"First and foremost, our responsibility is to the health and safety of our staff and our customers. Nothing comes before that," they said. "We don't think there's any way to put a positive spin on this whole situation. it's been devastating for the entire restaurant industry. Not only do we have 100 employees between two restaurants to worry about and their livelihood and being able to put food on the table and pay their rent, this is a trickle-down effect with our vendors, their truck drivers, their warehouse workers — from food to liquor to linen to knife sharpening to dishwasher detergent suppliers.

"We can assure you that when we re-open, we will continue to maintain our already high standards of health safety measures and protocols. We truly appreciate your patience and understanding during this difficult time and look forward to getting back to doing what we have done best for the last 19 years — serving our wonderful customers."