Relatively new to the Hoboken dining scene, Hudson Tavern is the latest attempt at upscale bistro cuisine in a casual atmosphere. Unfortunately, unlike its neighbors Anthony David’s and Elysian (whose manager is a co-owner of Hudson tavern), Hudson Tavern falls short on food and service.

Located on the corner of 14^th Street and Hudson Street, Hudson Tavern opened its doors in December 2007. With its rustic tile floor and patterned tin ceiling, it is reminiscent of a cozy French bistro. However, the atmosphere is anything but pretentious, as evidenced by a quaint dÈcor and lively atmosphere. The main dining room is dominated by a large circular bar surrounded by a handful of tables, where the space appears crowded without jamming folks in. Unfortunately, this room is not ideal for meals when the bar area is crowded, as the din, amplified by the tin ceiling, makes it nearly impossible to engage in conversation. There is a secondary dining room in the back where the noise levels were fairly low, giving diners a sense of intimacy. Lighting was low to nonexistent, as the primary sources appeared to be the red neon lights in each oversized window. If you happen to be seated near a window at night, the meals appear to be sitting under the red heat lamps ubiquitous in some kitchens.

Hudson Tavern’s food, meanwhile, is an interesting mix of standard bar fare and attempts to refine comfort food classics. Their bar, brunch, dinner and dessert menus are dominated by many familiar stand-bys like sandwiches, salads, chops and steaks. However, they have embellished some favorites with misplaced exotic ingredients, like truffle mac ‘n cheese (more on that later) and lobster ravioli in an effort to appear as an upscale contemporary restaurant, instead of a overpriced bar and grill. There is little or no effort made to include seasonal ingredients, contrary to what their website claims. In fact, on a recent visit, the only spring vegetable on the menu was asparagus. They do however, feature vegetarian entrees and there are a good number of interesting fish options as well.

But back to the mac ‘n cheese. After learning from my server that the truffle mac ‘n cheese was one of their most popular appetizers, I went for it, as I cannot think of a more delicious combination of ingredients than pasta, gruyere cheese, smoked ham, Portobello mushroom chunks and black truffles. Unfortunately, the end result fell far short of even modest expectations. Upon being placed before me, the dish had the strong smell of truffle oil, not the subtle aroma of real truffles. Indeed, whomever had doused the dish had done a real disservice to it, as the odor overwhelmed all other flavors. Sadly, there weren’t many flavors to overwhelm. I couldn’t discern any cheese or mushroom flavor, and the ham tasted neither smoked nor even salty. In fact, it appeared that the mac ‘n cheese hadn’t been been seasoned at all, as it was overwhelmingly bland and not worth $9.50. The other appetizers, ranging in price from $6.00 to $14.00 looked relatively tame next to this one. However, my server informed that the crab cake appetizer is less than substantial and not worth the $14 price tag.

The kitchen staff does a better job with entrees, or at least the protein part of them. The pan seared halibut with lump crabmeat, fresh herb risotto and wilted spinach with a ginger cream sauce was an interesting new offering. Beautifully plated, the fish was well seasoned and cooked to the perfect degree of doneness. Likewise, the ginger cream sauce was a sweet, salty and well balanced accompaniment to the unadorned fish. The risotto however, was a disappointment. Gummy, pasty and bland, the risotto completely masked the lump crabmeat that had been stirred into it. However, the 16 ounce ribeye steak with horseradish mashed potatoes and haricot verts was a hit. The steak, covered in a flavorful demi-glace sauce, was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the potatoes had a good level of hot horseradish. The other entrees seemed approachable but overpriced at $16.00 to $29.00. The dessert menu seems to be an afterthought, as all offerings seem tired and boring. I tried the coconut crËme brulee, and was disappointed to taste very little coconut flavor and to see the dish topped with whipped cream out of a can, None of the other options, ike ice cream and apple crisp, seemed worth $5.00 to $7.00.

Service was likewise spotty. On one visit, our server was very professional, pouring more wine when appropriate and carefully presenting the food. On another visit, the server all but disappeared and I was left asking the busboy for the check. Perhaps the most compelling evidence of Hudson tavern’s success, or lack thereof, was that I didn’t clean a single plate, and it’s a splurge, but it is clearly trying to earn its fine dining cred. As a whole though, Hudson Tavern is an acceptable fallback option when your favorite uptown neighborhood spot is packed.

Cindy Heller is realhoboken.com's restaurant reviewer. Email questions or comments to realhoboken@yahoo.com or feel free to discuss this review on the realhoboken.com message boards.