Friday night Darren and I had another date night and decided to try 42 at the top of the Ritz Carlton in White Plains.  We have been to The Ritz a bunch of times but have never dined at the restaurant atop the tallest building in town.   We stopped up a couple of times for drinks and tapas but this was to be our first dining experience.  Dressed up for a night on the town we arrived without a reservation but miraculously they were able to seat us.  Upon walking in, my first impression, was wow – this is beautiful.  The dining room is in a completely separate area than the bar and lounge thus creating a more intimate atmosphere.  The tables were positioned in such a way that no matter where you sat you had a view of the sunset, the Hudson River or the skyline of Manhattan out in the distance.  The sun was just going down as we sat and it was a clear night so we could see for miles.  So far, everything was perfect and we were both excited.  The waiters and staff were all very friendly and extremely accommodating.  We took our time ordering while we enjoyed some wine and a fresh array of breads that were served.

The menu although somewhat small certainly does have something for everyone and aside from a few of the meat dishes they were reasonably priced.  There were many ala carte options as well as a tasting menu and a small fixed price menu.  We opted for the ala carte section.  I started with the beef carpacio and Darren had a calamari and pasta appetizer.  I was rather disappointed.  The beef carpacio was fair at best and despite the three different toppings, none of them had much taste aside from the fact that it seemed the chef poured the salt shaker all over it.  Terrible.  Darren’s calamari/pasta served in a tomato broth however, was very flavorful and the portion was extremely generous for an appetizer.  I should have ordered that.  Oh well.  I thought things would improve with the main dish but not so for me.  Once again, Darren enjoyed his plate of grilled vegetables with chevre cheese but I disliked my lobster dish.  Again, it was too salty.  That should never be the case.  Prepared over wilted spinach the lobster tail and mini claws were swimming in a sauce that tasted like it had sea water on it.  I ate it but I should have sent it back.  Dessert was no better.  But this time we both agreed that what we ordered was tasteless.  Very disappointing from my perspective.

Overall, I would give the restaurant high marks for the service and atmosphere but they get a huge thumbs down from me for the food.  Darren on the other hand really enjoyed his meal and would gladly return.