Juice Box Cafe is the kind of place at which an omnivore would be hard pressed to find a dilemma.
The new eatery and juice bar features a selection of vegetarian and even vegan and raw salads and wraps, tons of made-to-order fruit and veggie juices and smoothies, and even some ham and turkey options for the meat-eaters in the midst. Ingredients are fresh and whenever possible local, courtesy of Frankferd Farms in Saxonburg, Pa.
Juice Box Cafe opened mid-April at 735 Copeland St. in Shadyside, next to Girasole and Mercurio's Mulberry Creamery. The lower-level location has some outdoor seating -- a treat in the city. And its vibrant interior -- painted pineapple yellow, tangerine orange and kiwi green -- bursts with eye-catching local art, many of the canvases created by cafe employees. There's the permanent collection splashed across one wall -- Warholesque fruit prints by master juice-maker/artist Sarah Wojdylak, whose glass terrarium installation was a hit at the recent GA/GI Festival -- and the other wall hosts a revolving selection of local works. The local wall is booked up to September.
Juice Box is owned Al Polanec, who also owns local tech company Blue Archer, which does web design, development and marketing.
Juice Box has only been open a few weeks, but already has the feel of a neighborhood staple. Polanec's a Shadyside resident, and Juice Box manager Marsa Lowerison worked for years at the Starbucks just across the street. She sees many of the same customers now, plus some new ones, including nearby Apple store employees, who Lowerison says are in Juice Box just about every day for lunch.
Juice Box is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Juice Box's menu features good-for-you staples with good-tasting surprises. The garden salad comes with avocado, cilantro and sunflower seeds; the smoked tofu salad is dressed in a sweet, spicy curry; and the go-to fake meat is mock tuna rather than a customary beef or chicken option. Smoothies and juices get silly-to-say names, such as the Berry Manilow (almond milk, strawberry, banana, chocolate) and the Pretty In Pink (red grape, apple, lemon). The almond milk is made right on the premises (refreshing rather than heavy, sweet). And, for the perfectly sinful antidote to all the wholesome fruits and veggies, chocolate-chip cookies are baked fresh daily.
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Writer: Caralyn Green
Sources: Marsa Lowerison, Sarah Wojdylak, Juice Box Cafe
Photograph copyright Caralyn Green