About 42

As a young man, my mother and father taught me that giving back to the world is more important than taking away from it. That was years ago, before I had ever touched a saucepan or handled a chef’s knife. In those days, food was about family and friends for me, a reason to get together, to share and create memories. At some point in my adolescence, I learned to draw a line between giving back to the world and my budding passion for cooking. Only then did I realize my vision for my future – to create experiences for people through food and service that would one day evoke memories of a special day at a special place. Thankfully, I was blessed with the opportunity to open 42, a space that exhibits an awesome beauty and couples perfectly with my culinary style.

When my partner, Louis Cappelli, and I began discussing plans to construct this mutual dream together, I found it comforting that while we were from two different backgrounds – his, real estate development, and mine, culinary – our intention was the same. We both were interested in creating a unique, special environment for our guests, one that would inspire conversation and open the doors for innovation in food.

In the time since 42 launched, I have made it my personal mission to develop a poetics in my cooking – to create food that mimics the provocative design of the restaurant and pays homage to the bountiful and abundant Hudson Valley. While my food draws its heritage back to my Portuguese upbringing, it is this beautiful region of New York that has allowed me to work with such fresh ingredients on a seasonal level. As I watch the seasons change from 42 stories above Westchester, I watch the metamorphosis of my food as well. It is this cyclical process that will forever be the heartbeat of my cuisine – a circle that begins with nature’s bounty and ends with culinary artistry.

With breathtaking views of sunsets over New York City or storms making their way over the Long Island Sound, 42 harnesses the natural beauty of New York and brings it to your dish. Whether you decide to come for a special night out or for the most important day of your life, my intent will be the same – to bring you a little closer to your food and to my vision of hospitality.

– Chef Anthony Goncalves