Munch and Ultra-Marathoning Friend of Munch don't have much in common. UMFOM does Ironmans; Munch watches "Iron Chef." UMFOM ran the Pittsburgh Marathon shirtless; Munch was also shirtless for the marathon ... because Munch was still in bed. UMFOM runs to compete; Munch runs only if being chased by a knife-wielding serial killer, James Harrison, or someone trying to steal Munch's takeout Chinese.

But Munch and UMFOM share one important quality: a transcendent love of food and grubbing for cheap. So when UMFOM told Munch about a new spot near Walnut Street, with a ringing "Dude, it's sooo good," endorsement, Munch decided to give it a try.

Juice Box Cafe opened last month, and, according to its blog, it was looking to bring reasonably priced healthful fare and "good karma" (is this a kind of juice?) to Shadyside. Munch was thrilled about the "reasonably priced" part of this, because when the company's not footing the bill, the hot dog stand is about all Munch can afford on Walnut Street.

Juice Box Cafe is at 735 Copeland St., lower level, Shadyside, and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Information: 412-802-7070 or juiceboxpitt.com.

The small space, housed in the English basement of a building on Copeland Street, has an outdoor patio and a much cheerier ambience than its dimly lit, cavernous neighbor, Girasole. Walls are painted bright green and adorned with paintings of fruit, reminding Munch a little of a cheery preschool classroom, a good spot to chill in on a gloomy May day.

And, just like preschool, there is juice, lots of juice, but not the kind loaded with sugar that used to send Munch ricocheting off the walls. (And when Munch says "used to," Munch means, like, last week.) Juice Box is a bit of a misnomer, because it's not actually served in boxes (Luke Ravenstahl will be disappointed), but in tall un-kid-proof glasses.

Munch and UMFOM started with a small Mad Mango smoothie ($3.25 for a small), a tasty tropical concoction of orange juice, mango, pineapple and banana and a juice, titled ominously the "V6" ($3.75 for a medium), a potion of cucumbers, celery, beets, carrots, tomatoes, lemon and kale which the juice man claimed gave people the ability to fly. (Mom of Munch prohibits Munch from testing these types of claims after the last failed flight off the roof of the garage.)

The V6, which UMFOM happily gulped down, was an inharmonious combination of sweet, sour and lettuce-y flavors. Hey, maybe it's an acquired taste. And if tastiness is inversely proportional to nutritional value, as occasionally is the case with vegetables, the V6 may be the healthiest thing Munch has ever ingested.

Next came the Sampler Plate, which came with two ($5.25) or three ($6.50) of the cafe's three signature dips. Out of the mock tuna, hummus and black bean dip, Munch chose the latter two, and it came out with greaseless but heart-healthy tortilla chips. UMFOM commented that the hummus was not his favorite and though it was good it probably couldn't hold up to the stuff whipped up by local Mediterranean restaurants. However, the black bean dip, a fresh combination of whole black beans, peppers and cilantro in lemon juice, was positively divine, a perfect combination of spicy and sour.

Next came the salads. UMFOM ordered the Mock Tuna Salad ($6.50) and Munch got the Smoked Tofu and Spicy Curry Salad ($6.50), which is UMFOM's regular fare. Each were served up in giant metal bowls with sizable portions of romaine lettuce. The smoked tofu came in the cafe's own delectable spicy curry sauce with raisins and other accoutrements, and because of the tofu's firm, almost springy texture, Munch's tongue might have been tricked into thinking it was meat. It was substantial enough to satisfy Munch's sizable appetite, especially with the side of hearty wheat bread.

The Mock Tuna Salad employs similar illusions, combining something called "textured veggie protein" with a sauce that seemed sweet and creamy (though it contains no dairy ... how do they do that?) and with flecks of nori, or seasoned dried seaweed. The vegan replication ended up being tastier than the version served in many of Pittsburgh's delis.

Finally, Munch finished with a Turkey and Avocado Panini ($6.75), foccacia pressed thin and oozing with sharp cheddar cheese (though the menu said it came with mozzarella, but Munch was not complaining). Munch's sole complaint was that the sandwich could have used more avocado to balance out the heft of the shaved smoked turkey, but all in all it was a standout effort.

With swimsuit season approaching and Munch looking more beached whale than beach body, Munch might give this whole healthy eating thing a shot. Hey, maybe Munch will even go for a run ... if the ice cream truck is in the neighborhood.

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