▼ Café Allison Young Love Story First Taste: First & Last is a Phoenix restaurant with a love story. BY ALLISON YOUNG T he story of First & Last, a lively neighborhood restaurant and the newest addition to the historic Gold Spot building on the corner of Roosevelt Street and Third Avenue, starts with the story of owners Robb and Ashley Hammond. Robb, who grew up in the Midwest canning and preserving with his mother and grandmother, fell in love with cooking in his 20s. “As an insecure 20-year-old, I liked doing things I was good at,” he says. “I’ve always been able to cook. Also, the people that showed me the most love as a child showed it through food.” He danced around the Chicago food scene, working in the kitchens of luminaries like Grant Achatz, Rick Bayless, and Curtis Duffy before moving to L.A., where he became the regional executive chef for LGO Hospitality’s California properties. It’s also where he met Ashley. Ashley started working in restaurants at age 16. “I immediately loved the fast pace and how every guest that walked in was another opportunity to make a connection and brighten someone’s day,” says Ashley, who managed local hot spots La Grande Orange and Maple & Ash, as well as The Misfit in L.A., where she met Rob. “I was instantly hooked, and haven’t stopped working in hospitality since,” she adds. After falling in love with restaurants, the two fell in love with each other. Now husband and wife, even the name First & Last, as in “the first thing I think about when I wake up” and “the last thing I think about before I fall asleep,” reflects their love. “This turned into First & Last over time, a sort of shorthand for how we feel about each other,” says Ashley. “The name reminds me each day that we are in it together.” First & Last invites you into the Hammonds’ story. Step into the modern desert oasis — a welcoming space ripe with pastel hues, playful lighting, big potted plants, and soaring exposed ceilings that is simultaneously bright and airy and Allison Young Above left: First & Last’s 28-day-aged ribeye with fermented chili chimichurri and Frite Street fries beckons. Above: Take The Scenic Route is a flowery, not- too-sweet sip. industrial-leaning — and you can feel the love that went into it. It’s a multi-faceted feast for the eyes, whether at a table, the bar, the chef’s counter, the chic lounge, or on the patio (there’s also a mezze called “The Basket” that’s perfect for >> p 26 Robb and Ashley Hammond, owners of First & Last. Kyle Ledeboer of KPL Studios 25 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES MAY 12TH– MAY 18TH, 2022
