Hal and Al's

The Rad Dog era at Hal and Al's in Merion Village is over. Tawd Bell, proprietor of Rad Dog, has switched back to the mobile cart operation. Plans are in place to consider an as-yet-undecided Rad Dog space later this year when the temperature drops. For now, Rad Dog can be found Downtown during weekday lunch times at the corner of Broad and High streets.

But have no fear. Hal and Al's new kitchen still offers a vegan menu that is full of comfort food favorites in a similar mold to that of its former configuration.

Instead of featuring the delicious predetermined creations from Rad Dog, Hal and Al's now lets you create your own Tofurkey hot dogs, brats, Italian sausage and kielbasa with a choice of toppings including onions, peppers, sauerkraut, soy cheese, relish, salsa, spicy mustard and ketchup.

The menu also features another throwback to the Rad Dog era, which is the locally produced Luna Burger. The soft, crumbly patty is excellent.

The side dishes are also winners. Choices include fries, sweet potato fries, fried pickles, fried mushrooms, fried avocados, chili and nachos.

The nachos come topped with soy cheese, tomatoes, jalapeño peppers, onions, black olives and chili. It is a fairly substantial portion. The bartender told me that the plan was to reformulate the cheese so that it melts better at a future date.

The fried avocados were also very satisfying. Wedges of avocado were breaded and served with a creamy dill sauce.

Even though I'm slightly depressed that Rad Dog is no longer in my neighborhood, at least Hal and Al's still has a vegan kitchen. It seems like the menu is still in its formative stages, so look for a few more changes while the project is in its infancy.

Hal and Al's