For me, having grown up in the UK meant that an integral part of life was having a nice curry after the pubs closed. Fast forward to Los Angeles in the 1980s, when my love for food in general and Indian cuisine in particular led to the opening of Millie’s in the Silver Lake District. 

 

Named for the previous owner, Millie, a weathered, cigarette-wielding mite of a woman, Millie’s LA is where the Devil’s Mess and other components of our current menu originated, then enjoyed by The Who's Who of the rock and film world. Whilst renovating that restaurant, we discovered a note pad — maybe from the 1930s or '40s — and found that the diner’s previous incarnation was as The Devils Mess! We just had to use that name for a menu item.

 

The Devil's Mess was an instant hit, and it continues starring here at Millie's in Richmond, where it's been on the menu since day one in 1989. It's an open-faced omelette with curry-style spices, sausage, eggs and tomatoes, topped with melted cheese and garnished with avocado. It's always accompanied by our spicy home fries and a flourish of Sriracha. The last 30+ years have seen many messes: Veggie and Cajun and Cuban, to name a few — we've found that there's never been a shortage of cultural messes to offer up inspiration.

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~Paul Keevil, Proprietor