Omnivore - A couple of meals

My regular lunch pals and I headed to Urban pL8 on Friday. I was clutching my cell phone in my greedy hand. I’d emailed Scout Mob to text me the restaurant’s half-price special.

So apparently did everyone else in the city. We could tell it was going to be a lengthy wait, so we headed to Bocado. It is not far from Urban pL8, but — warning — the construction boom on the Westside has created considerable traffic.

The lunch menu at Bocado seemed little changed since my last visit months ago — or maybe it’s just that I can’t resist the same sandwich every time I go. I’m talking about the roasted poblano and pimento cheese with bacon and a thick slice of fried green tomato. The only flavor missing in that is sweet, although the tomato had a nearly sweet undertone. On the side: duck fries.

Frank and Lee, my friends, both ordered a crab po’ boy with remoulade. It was actually more like a crab-cake po’ boy. They shrugged.

Speaking of pimento cheese and bacon, I ordered a burger with the same toppings at Young Augustine’s in Grant Park recently. In fact, I got duck fries on the side there too.

The burger was great, as was Wayne’s grilled chicken sandwich. The menu did, however, seem like it’s been toned-down a bit. Is the recession making our palates less experimental?