Community Corner

Hidden Gems Of Hartford And Tolland Counties

The latest Hidden Gem(s) come to the counties by way of Ireland.

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Emmet Moore, center, flanked by partners Travis Pillon (left) and Jamin DePorto (right) at Thursday's Jefferson Fry Company opening in Vernon.
Emmet Moore, center, flanked by partners Travis Pillon (left) and Jamin DePorto (right) at Thursday's Jefferson Fry Company opening in Vernon. (Chris Dehnel/Patch )

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — With the opening of the fourth Jefferson Fry Co. in Vernon this week, it makes sense this to point out all four of them in Hartford and Tolland counties because they really are Hidden Gems by way of Ireland.

The premise of Jefferson Fry Company is the put the fries front-and-center on the menu and that's very apparent. There are several different combinations available. Let's take Thursday, for example. Around one table were bacon and cheese fries, pulled pork fries, curry chicken fries and parmesan and garlic fries ... and a hot dog. All received rave reviews by the patrons.

There are plain old "naked fries" too.

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The cheese and bacon fries at Jefferson Fry Co. (Chris Dehnel/Patch)

The restaurant is the creation of 36-year-old Emmet Moore, who has teamed up with wife, Lizzy, and partners Jamin DeProto and Travis Pillon to run what is now four Jeffersons in the state. In addition to the Vernon location in the Tri-City Plaza, they have the original restaurant at 43 Berlin Road in Cromwell that opened in 2018, along with one at 118 Albany Turnpike in Canton and at 1400 Park St. in Hartford.

Moore honed the potato thing in his native Ireland, Leighlinbridge in County Carlow, to be exact. It was there that his dad ran a food truck and his family a fish and chips shop. At 12, he once processed 550 pounds of fries — peeled and cut — in 56 minutes.

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"The chips, er fries, are the thing," he quipped.

Moore said he figured why not bring the concept of "dirty" fries to America — served with a variety if fixings. Moore said the name Jefferson came from the legend that Thomas Jefferson was a fan of "dirty" fries during his heyday as a an ambassador in Europe and brought the idea home "back in the day."

In addition to the fries and dogs Jefferson has burgers and chicken sandwiches and a portobello sandwich. It also serves up custom shakes and its own line of sodas.

See the complete menu here.

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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Hartford and Tolland counties. Do you have a favorite "hidden gem" in the area that you wish to see featured in this column? Email your ideas to tim.jensen@patch.com.Other Gems in this series:
2022

2021 and earlier:

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