If there is one thing diners should know about cuisine at the Attic, it's that it is an all-scratch kitchen. Sometimes it takes a little longer for food to come out of the kitchen. There isn't a walk-in freezer or pantry full of cans, and the staff put out breakfast, lunch and dinner. For example, explains chef Raquel Jubran, “I do a blueberry, lemon and toasted-coriander jam. There's also a mixed-berry jam and an apple butter.” [Editor's Note: Who wants to join us for a biscuit-and-jam tasting?]
How about the mac and Cheetos? “I like spicy Cheetos,” she says. “We had a macaroni special when it was still Lasher's. I thought, 'Everybody puts these boring bread crumbs on top of theirs; let's try some Cheetos on top.' And it turned out really good.”
Read our interview with Raquel Jubran of The Attic, Part One.
And now, on to Part Two . . . .
When you're not in the kitchen cooking, what are you doing?
Spending as much time with my baby girl and husband.
Last song playing on your radio:
“Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae.
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Where did you grow up?
My father was in the United States Air Force, so we traveled and moved a lot. I spent most of the time here in the San Fernando Valley after he retired. I was in the military, too, so I traveled a lot.
Hardest lesson you've learned:
You don't always get to be with the people you love most.
What's your favorite childhood memory?
Our beach house at Bellows Air Force Base. And luaus.
What were you up to five years ago?
Traveling around the world to surf and visiting family abroad.
Last book read?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treador. It's a book and a movie. As a kid, I read the whole C.S. Lewis series. It surprised me that they took so long to make the movies–and do them right. I'd seen a couple of cartoon versions. There was also a BBC version. They were good, but not quite right. When the new movies came out, I thought they did a really good job.
Last thing you looked up?
How to make king cake. We made a bread pudding out of it for our prix-fixe menu.
Do you have any skills that are non-food-related?
Gardening. I can write with both hands. Tarot cards. I speak two other languages. Sewing quilts and dresses.
Did you teach yourself to be ambidextrous?
I knew right away when I was a kid that I could use both hands. At the Border Grill, they did some kind of managerial test. They asked us to write with our left hand. My counterpart next to me was saying, “It looks just as good as [with] your right hand!”
What would you be doing if you weren't in this business?
I would have joined the Coast Guard.
And . . . one more story from Raquel. We were discussing the topic of seasoning our food:
“I became an executive chef too fast. I would've had a meltdown if I didn't plan for a trip. I went on a cruise to Puerto Rico and didn't come back for two years; I just decided to stay there. Specifically, I was there to learn Spanish and to get out of the restaurant industry for a little while. I had a boyfriend when I lived in Puerto Rico. We were at his grandmother's house, and she was making a meal for us. Before he even tasted it, he just took the salt and started dousing it. I had to kick him under the table.”
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A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.