At first, it’s a mystery, a wide crock draped with golden-brown pizza dough. Anything could be inside, maybe an exotic dancer, maybe a clutch of blackbirds. Instead, break the crust and you’ll find a steamy filling of penne dotted by hunks of fennel and pork sausage, bound together by Bella Brava’s exceptional spicy, pancetta-laced tomato sauce. Better than a bunch of live birds any day of the week (but not necessarily better than a stripper).
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2006.