Victor Ivry and Aimee Platt

1018 Oak Hill Road ~ (925) 283-2397

They say don’t mix business with pleasure, but that is just what Victor and Aimee did — and Lafayette was the big winner.  When this couple decided to buy the iconic “Millie’s Kitchen,” a hallmark in the town since 1975, they inherited a legacy and continued a presence in our town’s restaurant scene.  Victor is a Canadian by birth, but made his home in the East Bay, serving as a swim coach at both Meadow in Orinda and then for 18-years as head coach at Miramonte.  He won’t want to brag, but Victor competed in the Olympic trials – twice!   In his free time, he owned and managed two restaurants in Orinda.  A few years ago, he set up shop in Lafayette with American Kitchen (formerly off Lafayette Circle) and thrived there.  When former waitress and long-time owner of Millie’s kitchen, Eva Clement, decided to retire, the fit was too perfect.

Victor and Aimee have the “secret recipe” for cinnamon rolls that first put Millie’s on the map, but they have expanded the menu to include signature dishes from American Kitchen — packed with organic ingredients, homemade hollandaise sauce, gluten and dairy-free options, a large variety of specialty coffees and teas, as well as Huevos Rancheros!

They have already given the home that Millie Harris first, literally, called “home” in the 1960s a significant face-lift.  The walls are bright with hard wood floors.  There is a brand-new patio with 40 seats just off the parking lot.  The couple have applied to the city for a liquor license, so you might see a Mimosa on the menu soon.