Maine Pizza Sauce: Sorry, It's Classified

By Ted Cohen

A Redditor with an over-abundance of tomatoes from his garden is desperate for anyone who can crack the code for Pat's secret sauce.

But no one's talking. No one. The deep state’s now into pizza sauce?

The Farnsworth family that started Pat's 72 years ago apparently requires sauciers to sign an NDA upon entering the sanctuary.

Where is ex-CIA Chief John Brennan when seconds count? After all, this could be a second career for him - spilling the beans on Maine’s Elusive Secret Sauce after alleging “Russian collusion.”

“Any current or former employees know the secret?” pleaded carn2fex on Reddit.

“Regular employees don't know what's in it,” replied Redditor hike_me.

“Damn,” exclaimed carn2fex, “it's like Maine's equivalent of the Coca-Cola recipe.”

AdUnable6415, meanwhile, disagrees with hike_me’s claim that Pat's workers don't know the secret code.

“Regular employees know what's in it,” he claimed. “It's not like Pat sent everyone away when they were cooking.”

AustinBloggy reports that he worked at the original Pat’s in Orono for several years and insists it’s the only location “that has the REAL sauce.”

“The franchises get a packet of dehydrated ingredients that they add to a tomato base but only the Farnsworths themselves know what's in the ‘goulash’ that they add to the tomato base at the original location,” AustinBloggy added. “I don't know everything that's in it but it's a slow-cooked blend of fresh bell peppers, onions and various dry seasonings cooked in olive oil for a very long time. Once the peppers and onions are soft they scoop it into a tomato base.”

So the Farnsworths apparently hold the key to the safe, or, in this case, to Pat’s grocery list.

Pat's was founded by Pat Farnsworth, who bought an ice cream shop in Orono in 1931 and later added pizza to the menu in 1953, leading the cafe to eventually be renamed Pat's Pizza.

Pat’s wife, Fran, apparently sworn to secrecy in sickness and in health, helped develop the original sauce recipe.

Today, the business is a Maine institution with numerous locations, though the ownership structure has evolved over time with other families operating different franchise locations.

So, the state-protected sauce will remain just that - Maine’s best-kept secret.