It’s taken me a long time to write about El Cincuenta y Ocho. It wasn’t that I hadn’t been there. I was there on the day it opened. And a few days after that. And a week or two later. And a couple of times again recently.

So what took me so long to write about it? Well it’s not that I don’t like the place. There are a lot of things I like about the place. And one thing I really, really like about the place.

My problem has been not knowing exactly what El Cincuenta y Ocho is. Is it a bar or is it a restaurant? Is it a concert venue or a dance club? Is it targeted at 50 year olds or 20 year olds? Is it a fine dining or a casual restaurant?

Don Day’s Wife calls it Club Schizophrenia. And I think she’s right on.

I’ve been there when there’s a band playing music I like. I’ve been there when there’s a band playing music I dislike. I’ve been there when there’s a band playing music my ears like but my feet don’t like (Don Day doesn’t salsa or samba). I’ve been there when there’s no music at all. And I’ve been there when there are no people at all.

I suspect I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what El Cincuenta y Ocho is. I’m not even sure that the management of El Cincuenta y Ocho knows. But I do hope they figure it out. For El Cincuenta y Ocho is a big and beautiful place and, like a lot of big places, when it’s not very full it feels very, very empty. And when I’m in an empty place I get this feeling that every one knows something I don’t.

There were only two other people there the entire time Don Day’s Wife and I last had lunch at El Cincuenta y Ocho. But as much as a larger crowd would have reinforced our decision to choose the restaurant, we were there, specifically, because of one of the eight employees who was working there that day.

Gabriel Ordonez is the chef at El Cincuenta y Ocho and both Don Day’s Wife and I think that Gabriel Ordonez is one of the very best chefs in San Miguel de Allende. We both also think it a shame that very few people are experiencing the fine food that is coming out of his kitchen.

We started lunch with a beef carpaccio. The beef cut was tenderloin, sliced razor thin (freezing the meat is the secret as to how Gabriel Ordinez…and other chefs…can slice it so finely). It was accompanied by four different things that both separately and in harmony went so well with the beef. Capers, arugula, Dijon mustard and parmesan. It was served on potato chips. Not potato chips that were bought in a bag across the street at Bonanza. But the freshest of chips made in El Cincuenta y Ocho’s kitchen. Ah the simple pleasures of meat and potatoes!

Next up was a foamy carrot and ginger soup. It’s a soup you’ll find on the menu of a lot of restaurants. It’s a soup that any chef can create. The difference between a good and a not so good one is balance. The two main ingredients must complement each other and never overpower. Gabriel Ordinez nailed it.

“Could you imagine how well this would work as a cold summer soup?”, said Don Day’s Wife.

“I’m tempted to let my last little dribble cool down”, I replied, “just to know how good it would be.”

El Cincuenta y Ocho Is currently revising their menu and there’s talk of replacing the carrot and ginger with sopa de tortilla. Tortilla soup is for cooks not chefs. Please help me talk them out of it.

Next up was a ravioli and Don Day’s Wife is one of the most harsh of critics when it comes to ravioli noodles. Her current champion is at the San Miguel restaurant Aperi. Or I should say was.

“This is better than Aperi…from a standpoint of texture and lightness and taste…and I really like the stuffing”, said Don Day’s Wife. “No, make that love that stuffing…portabello, cremini, oyster mushrooms, goat cheese, and those walnuts…not to mention that butter on top.”

The very pretty plate presentation continued with our next course, a ceviche. The traditional fruit for a ceviche is citrus, usually lime but occasionally grapefruit and, lately, mango has been the fashionable choice of chefs. But not Gabriel Ordinez. He used the juices from kiwi and pineapple to finish “cooking” his flash grilled shrimp. The taste was unique and extraordinary.

I remarked to Gabriel Ordinez how everything was so fresh and crisp.

“I’d rather spend a lot on good ingredients and keep the dishes fairly simple”, said Gabriel.

Our main was a very simple dish. At least until the sauce was poured on top. The filet mignon was washed with a brandy cream sauce with, again, that little chef’s touch, a hint of chimichurri with finely chopped parsley.

“It might have been even better with tarragon”, said Don Day’s Wife.

“Don’t I know it”, said Chef Gabriel, “but I’ve never once found it fresh in San Miguel.”

Gabriel Ordinez has obviously had some superb learning experiences in his young career. Like many other local chefs, he worked under both Donnie Masterton at The Restaurant and Jason Maloff formerly of Cafe Rama.

Gabriel then went off to work in Lima, Peru, including a stint at Central, the Michelin three star restaurant currently ranked fourth on San Pellegrino’s list of the top 50 in the world.

The kitchen where Gabriel Ordinez and his assistants Luis and David work must seem tiny in comparison to the lavishly equipped facilities at Central. I suspect El Cincuenta y Ocho may have spent more on the sound system than on the kitchen.

“There’s a few things I’d like to have. I’m trying to get liquid nitrogen for sure.” said Gabriel. “And I’d definitely like a sous vide machine to do some slow cooking.

“I’m not going to go over the top though. I’ll never do anything gimmicky. I just want to give the ingredients the treatment that they deserve.”

I think Gabriel Ordinez deserves better treatment. His food seems to rank third behind the music and discounted drinks in order of importance at El Cincuenta y Ocho. I think it’s a shame that such a talented chef isn’t top of the bill.

I’m still not sure what El Cincuenta y Ocho is or what El Cincuenta y Ocho aspires to be. But with Gabriel Ordinez manning the kitchen, I think there’s a star that deserves to shine much brighter. I’d definitely catch the glow while you can.

El Cincuenta y Ocho is located at Mesones #58 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. The restaurant/bar is open from 1:00 pm to 2:00 am.