Conundrum - Freeport, Maine

We stopped in at Conundrum for dinner on a recent Thursday night. It was a happening place, packed with a mostly local after-work crowd.

Conundrum has been one of my favorite spots for drinks & appetizers over the years, but shockingly, I had never before had a complete dinner at this restaurant.

Housed in a less-than-impressive looking one story building on Route 1 in Freeport, next to the Old World Deli, Conundrum has a variety of seating options: stools at the bar, tall tables and stools, leather couches and traditional tables and chairs. On the night we dined, a jazz trio played outside on the enclosed patio where there is additional seating for patrons.

Our waitress had only been on the job a few weeks and could benefit from some additional training. After a ten minute wait for her to come to our table, we asked the waitress about wine by the glass options. She looked at us blankly and said, "I don't drink wine ... so I don't know anything about it." My husband and I looked at each other puzzled -- why someone would work at a self-described "wine bistro" and not drink, or at least care to learn about wine?

The waitress' lack of knowledge about wine kept the bartender hopping. To his credit, despite being busy at the bar, he visited our table to discuss our wine preferences, then sent out several tastes of various wines for us to try before committing to a full glass.

We started with the crab cakes ($10) which were served with lemon aioli and a mixed green salad. The cakes were just the right thickness, moist and perfectly pan seared. While crab was the most predominant ingredient, the cakes also contained tiny bits of chopped red pepper and fresh parsley. The accompanying lemon aioli paired well with both the cakes and mesculin greens.

The Roasted Duck Quesadilla ($15) was the most interesting dish we tried that evening. A grilled tortilla was filled with chunks of tender duck, red pepper, onion, spinach and sweet mango cream cheese. The quesadilla was served with a side of char grilled asparagus that was cooked to perfection.

As the waitress cleared our plates, she carefully removed our dirty silverware and placed it on the wood table for us to reuse with our entrees. Even with a linen table cloth, waitstaff should know just to clear the silverware, as opposed to the reusing dirty utensils. I had to ask for fresh silverware, which she provided.

For his entree, my husband selected the penne tossed with sautéed garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes in a white wine butter broth ($12). A surprising, but welcome ingredient in the dish was strips of moist chicken, which were not disclosed in the menu description. The mushrooms in the dish were perfectly sautéed and the side of grilled bread was excellent for soaking up the white wine - mushroom infused - garlic butter sauce.

My entree selection was the Sesame Tuna Salad ($12). Strips of tuna were cooked medium-well and served over fresh mixed greens, cabbage, carrots, asparagus, red pepper, scallions and cilantro. The red curry vinaigrette was a bit too subtle for my taste. While I devoured every last bite, I wouldn't order this dish again as it lacked any wow factor.

The same cannot be said of the blueberry pie. I'm not a pie fan, but my husband is. He was hungrier than I, thus he chose the dessert that particular evening. The pie was served piping hot - warmed from time spent in the microwave. The crust was a bit chewy, but the steaming blueberries were spectacular, particularly with the accompanying French vanilla ice cream. Not too sweet, not too tart, this pie was extraordinary!

Conundrum does not serve overly creative fare, but rather simple dishes done well. This is one my favorite spots in Southern Maine for drinks and appetizers - they make a mean martini, have a diverse wine list and an excellent selection of appetizers and cheeses. If you find that you want to settle in for the evening at Conundrum, you certainly won't be disappointed with the entrees and desserts - or the reasonable prices.