The

Pizza Patrol's

weighty mission this summer is to hit 100-plus pizzerias around New Jersey in an attempt to find the

state's best pizza

.

Round two of our voyage brought us to Union County. First up: Emma's Brick Oven(101 N. Union Ave., Cranford; 908-497-1211). It was packed inside, so we ate our pies on the sidewalk. Jeff Burnet found the plain/sausage "a little salty,'' But Wiener liked the "simple sauce -- balanced sweet.''The Emma Pie, with buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, provolone, fresh garlic and basil pesto sauce, didn't fare as well. "Like it, don't love it,'' Windrem said. "Very average,'' Bruno added.

Pizza House/Pizza Chef (123 N. Union Ave., Cranford; 908-276-0939) is two pizzerias in one. The best we could figure, pizza from the Pizza Chef side of the menu is thicker, and is available with whole wheat dough. The plain/sausage seemed ordinary, but Burnet said it was better than most of its Nutley counterparts. The Ciao Bella, with basil, tomato and garlic, was bland and forgettable.

Then we hit the doughy jackpot. Buona Pizza (243 South Avenue East, Westfield; 908-232-2066) is squeezed, almost as an afterthought, in a strip mall on South Avenue. The all-white pie was "unexpectedly not bad,'' according to Bruno, but the plain/sausage was a hit.

"Perfect blend of sauce and cheese,'' Burnet said. "Delicious,'' Wiener added.

Gennaro's 1100 South Avenue, Westfield; 908-654-7472) didn't impress. "Gets lost in the sea of average pizza,'' Schneider ruled.

But we found greasy goodness in the cooked-in-a-pan plain/sausage pie at Joe's (2062 Springfield Ave.,Union; 908-964-3157).

"For the last pie, this one hammered,'' Windrem raved.

Two trips so far, nine stops -- and many more to go.

Where should the Pizza Patrol go? You can recommend your favorite pizzeria any time this summer. E-mail pgenovese@starledger.com or call the Munchmobile Hotline at (973) 392-1765. You must leave your name and phone number -- anonymous calls will not get the Big Dog's attention!

Next week: The Pizza Patrol invades Morris and Middlesex counties.