Two loves come together at this Italian restaurant with a Beatles flair

It looks like an Italian supper club, but with Beatles memorabilia on the wall

From deep-dish pizzas to a hearty helping of lasagna, and everything in between, Penne Lane in Clinton Township is your classic Italian American restaurant.

The chef and owner, Bob Halaas, has a long history of working in restaurants starting at just 17 years old when he joined the army.

According to Halaas, he was looking at different military careers when he came across working in the kitchen, his dad told him to take that posting, as it he would never be cold or hungry, and everyone will want to be his friend. So he listened and started off his culinary career.

Along the way, he got a chance to train under an Italian Chef named Carlo Bruno who hailed from Sciliy and taught Halaas many of his recipes.

By 2016 he had owned a couple of restaurants, namely The Captain’s Landing, a season spot in Mount Clemens, and a breakfast place he called Strawberry Fields. As you can tell by the name - Strawberry Fields, Halaas was a big fan of The Beatles.

At that time he was looking to sell Strawberry Fields and open up an Italian restaurant. He found a large spot on Hall Road in Clinton Township, but he needed a name. Originally he thought to name it Campi di Fragole, or Strawberry Fields in Italian. His wife, however, said that name was too hard to remember. Then one night, she came up with the perfect name - Penne Lane - a reference to the flip side of The Beattle double A-side album, Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane.

As for food, he offers a large spread of Italian American favorites. He has classic dishes like lasagna and Spaghetti and meatballs, but he also offers local twists like a walleye piccata. As for pizza, they like to make theirs in the Chicago style, deep dish and loaded with toppings and cheese.

Halaas owns and operates both Penne Lane in Clinton Twp. and Octopus Beer Garden in Mount Clemens (formerly known as Captain’s Landing). Due to limited staffing and seasonality, Penne Lane will be closed briefly over the summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day while Octopus Beer Garden operates over the summer on the Clinton River.

For the full story, watch the video above.

Penne Lane is located at 44905 Morley Drive in Clinton Twp.