Small Bites Article

Piece Meal

Conundrum’s eclectic menu misses the mark.

By Erin Byers

Photo by Diana R. Levine
Chef Eric Wernsing’s apparent goal at his new Harvard Square restaurant, Conundrum, was to give diners anything and everything they crave. Technically, he’s accomplished it: On the menu there are Southwestern, French, Italian, and Asian-inspired dishes. But Wernsing’s approach means that only a few meet the highest standards.

There are cute touches: Puzzle piece bread plates, for instance, play to the brain-tickling name and accent the cozy space. But instead of global inspiration, we found a hodgepodge of predictable fare—tuna tartare, salmon, and rack of lamb—and inconsistent execution. Appetizers like a shrimp Culican spiced with chipotle butter made for a sweet, peppery start but the tuna was tasteless under a too-strong ginger–kaffir lime sauce and the tamarind-glazed pork loin was juicy but cloying. It was desserts, like the Bananas Conundrum—sautéed bananas and chocolate ice cream atop chocolate crêpes—that showed expertise. It’s a goal Conundrum should strive for with every dish.

>> 56 JFK St., Cambridge, 617-868-0335, conundrumrestaurant.com.
Originally published in Boston magazine, August 2006
 

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