A quick lunch to get you through the afternoon. The perfect after-school snack. Dinner for a busy family. Pizza is all of that for most people. But in New Jersey, pizza is a saucy, cheesy dietary staple, a slice of life.

We munch freely, connoisseurs of carbs, gleefully seeking out the perfect slice or pie. Once we find our favorites, we are steadfast in touting the merits of our chosen pizza-makers. 

But is it the crust, the toppings, the cheese-to-sauce ratio, or something else that makes you love your pizza? Starting this morning, Patch is asking you to show us your true colors. We know you've got favorites and we want you to wave the flag in support of the pizza-maker you can't do without.

As the kick-off to our regular "Best Of" features, we're starting with pizza. So, you'll see this story anchored to your Patch home page. Our requests are simple:

• Cast your ballot.
• Tell your friends, family, acquaintances, co-workers, doctors, letter carriers and anyone else you know to do the same.
• Use our comment tool to tell us what makes your favorite the best. Is the secret in the sauce, is it the crumbled sausage instead of the sliced, or is it the creative pairings on some of their specialty pies?

We will leave this poll on the home page until noon Friday — giving you plenty of time for "research". We will be doing our own taste-testing throughout the week and making mentions of what we find in town. Once the final ballot is cast, we will tabulate the votes and announce the winner at 6 p.m. Friday, just in time for that week-ending dinner order — and bragging rights!

This is democracy in its truest form. Your vote counts, so thanks in advance for doing your duty and voting your culinary conscience! See you Friday!