HOT DOG!

From beachside concession stand to community landmark, Left Bank Hot Dogs honors its past while embracing the future.

FOR FORREST SIMMS, the few accidentally misplaced golf balls he knocked into a neighbor’s backyard turned out to be his family’s introduction to Bob and Gert Pasquesi and the iconic Left Bank Hot Dogs business they built.

“The Pasquesis were our backyard neighbors,” Forrest explains. “The first time we met was when Mr. P showed up at our front door asking my dad to tell me to be a little more careful with my golf swing.”

At the time, the Simms family never imagined they would one day become stewards of the beloved Left Bank Hot Dogs brand. But that’s exactly what happened.

Forrest’s mother, Susan Simms, bought Left Bank in 2020, with all four of her children stepping in to help carry on its legacy.

“When our family first moved to Lake Forest,” says Susan, “Left Bank and The Lantern were the first places we took the kids.”

A family with a strong food background—especially in Kansas City barbecue, the Simms appreciated places with history, character, and a loyal local following.

The Left Bank—which the Pasquesis operated for more than 60 years—had all three of those things, and more.

“Operating a business with this much history feels like a real privilege—and honestly, a big responsibility,” says Forrest, who remembers intentionally walking past Left Bank on his way home from middle school. “Just so I could grab a cheese dog or Not-So-Sloppy Sloppy Joe with friends. If we were lucky, we’d even be allowed into the historic back room.”

“For many people growing up in Lake Forest, Left Bank was part of the experience,” Forrest adds. “We’re just trying to preserve that for the next generation.”

The Left Bank legacy actually began at the Lake Forest beach in the early 1960s. Seeing summer crowds at the lakefront with few refreshment options nearby, Bob and Gertrude Pasquesi spotted an opportunity. They filled the gap by setting up a small food truck and concession stand serving hot dogs, popcorn, candy, and frozen treats.

Success at the beach eventually led the Pasquesis to establish a permanent home for their business in 1963, allowing them to serve the community year-round.

The 1894 Speidel building they chose for Left Bank Hot Dogs already carried a remarkable piece of Lake Forest history.

Originally facing Western Avenue where it housed businesses including Harder’s Hardware and the Nordling/Krafft pharmacy, the entire structure was moved to Bank Lane in 1915. The move made way for the development of Market Square, one of the country’s first planned shopping centers.

In the decades that followed Left Bank’s launch, the place became known for its welcoming and unpretentious atmosphere, attracting everyone from everyday regulars to notable visitors such as Robert Redford and Vince Vaughn.

“Status never mattered,” says former owner Lane Pasquesi. “Everyone stood in the same line, sat at the same tables, and came for the same thing—good food, familiar faces, and the feeling of being part of the neighborhood.”

Today, the Simms family is committed to preserving exactly that spirit.

“In a world where so much constantly changes, it feels good to hold steady,” says Simms, “preserving the recipes, friendly atmosphere, and old-school feel that have made this place a community fixture.”

In keeping with that commitment, best-selling menu items remain the classics: Cheese dogs, chili cheese dogs, and the Not-So-Sloppy Sloppy Joes are all prepared using the original recipes and ingredients specified by the Pasquesi family. Alongside those stalwarts, the Simms family’s homemade soups and family-recipe chicken and tuna salad sandwiches have become guest favorites, too.

As improvements to Bank Lane continue, the Simms are bolstering Left Bank’s pedestrian-focused presence this summer through community events including the Bites on Bank Food Festival, Lake Forest’s Festival of Fireworks, and Lake Forest Day.

Included in this effort? The restoration of the party cart Lane Pasquesi had custom made in 2008.

“Yes,” Forrest says with a smile, “it needed a lot of repairs, but the party cart is back in play, making it possible for us to bring the Left Bank Hot Dog experience to more off-site events.”

Once new guests have tried Left Bank, the Simms family believes they’ll join previous generations of Lake Foresters who have kept coming back.

“At the end of the day,” sums Forrest, “we just want Left Bank to keep feeling the way people remember it.”

To learn more about Left Bank Hot Dogs, visit leftbankhotdogs.com.