On a holiday weekend last summer, my husband and I headed south for the annual Sonoita Rodeo, and made a side trip into Patagonia for lunch. Sixty miles south of Tucson, in the tiny town of Patagonia, the Velvet Elvis Pizza Company crafts delicious, unusual pizzas from fresh, house-made ingredients. The pie is fantastic, and the kicker - most of the menu options are healthy (or, not so unwholesome as your typical slice)!

Both the pizza and the red sauce recipes at Velvet Elvis are 70 years old, and originated in an Italian pizzeria in Brooklyn. But since 1998, chef and owner Cecilia San Miguel has made Patagonia the home of Elvis' tasty pies.

Velvet Elvis is a small adobe building just inside Patagonia city limits, decorated in earthtones, with a small garden patio out front. We ate inside, where the walls are colorful tributes to the Lady of Guadalupe, and diners seat themselves at large tables that sometimes require dining with another group - a great way to get to know your fellow diners!

In addition to serving pizza, Velvet Elvis also specializes in raw juices, fresh organic salads and vegetarian soups. We were definitely there for the pizza, but we started with a couple of glasses of Limonada Rosa - limeade made with freshly squeezed limes and hibiscus. It was brightly colored and tart, and incredibly tasty on a hot day.

The "Designer Pizza" menu was deep and really unique, with pies like "El Mariachi Blanco," topped with green chili and jalapeno cream sauce, capers, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, garlic and sundried tomatoes. The "Inca Quinoa Pizza" - which requires 24 hours notice to order, is a deep-dish work of art, with a quinoa-flour crust, fresh vegetables and cheese.

However, we settled on the "Pancho Villa" pizza - a concoction of Elvis' famous red sauce, house-made beef chorizo, fresh tomatoes, yellow onion, cilantro, fresh jalapenos, and asiago and mozzarella chesses. A word of warning for the weak of tongue - this is one spicy pizza! The fresh jalapenos are eye-wateringly spice and there's a few in every bite, but for those who like it hot, this pizza will leave you craving more. (You'll definitely need a refill or two on your limonada to put out the fire in your mouth, though!)

Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano recently named Velvet Elvis Pizza Company an "Arizona Treasure," and I couldn't agree more. The next time you're headed to wine country, start out with a slice or two from Velvet Elvis.