Matchbox - Palm Springs, CA

Jupe didn't want to go here.  He thought it might be a tourist trap.  But it was the restaurant with the live music near the street that trapped all the tourists and made sure our dining experience was pleasant and uncrowded.  I got some major "I told you so's" in on Jupe on this one.

One of the coolest things about the place is that they had sixteen plus specialty pizzas and they allowed you to do half and half's on them.  This meant I got to try five different pizza styles by sharing with everyone else.  The only real thing I would warn is to stick to well drinks, martini's with top shelf vodka were $14.

This is the Simple Salad that Jupe and Eric shared.  It was a delightful mix of leafy greens, tomatoes and a variety of other yummy stuff.  They gave it a 3.25.

The pizzas we tried were: Matchbox Meat (4.5), with spicy italian sausage, BACON and pepperoni; Fire and Smoke (4.0), which was delicious but I could only eat two bites (the menu says "very hot" and means it!); Spicy Meatball (3.75), with the aforementioned meatball, crushed red pepper, garlic puree and bacon;  Proscuitto and Black Mission Fig (4.75), with roasted garlic and black pepper honey; Coppa Italian Ham and Arugala (4.25), with pesto sauce.  All were very good as the scores indicate and also very original while still having traditional choices.

Sarah and Kari shared the Chicken Breast Sandwich.  They thought it needed something more and that the roll was not perfect.  They said it was basically bruschetta with a chicken breast on it.  They scored it a 3.0
Jupe and Eric had the Ribeye with Fries.  They enjoyed it but weren't amazed.  They gave it a 3.75.  The Asparagus was a nice touch.

The service was fast, attentive and the drink selection excellent.  The prices were reasonable, except for high end drinks.  Bottom line: Go here, drink beer, wine or well drinks, and get the pizza.  You will enjoy your meal and experience.