Bars in Miller Place

There's always something going on at Village Idiot Pub, where drink specials abound and live music takes the stage each weekend. A menu of pub grub tempts diners with starters such as lobster wontons and mac 'n' cheese wedges, along with beefy burgers topped with bacon and jalapeños. For finger-licking eats, the pub also prepares chicken wings in 11 sauces, from trademark buffalo to the super-spicy atomic.

Much like many plates of food and bottles of fine wines at Blend Restaurant, the restaurant's ownership is shared. Restaurateurs Jimmy Pace and Tommy Quinn join forces with Chef Mike, whose rampant creativity transforms familiar ingredients into unusual eats. The chef serves pig wings with buffalo and asian style sauces, beef short ribs braised in Madeira demi glace, and Chilean sea bass with romesco sauce. He pairs these eats with an equally impressive array of wines, his list ripe with Napa Valley vintages and international varietals from Italy, Germany, and Argentina.

Pool players of all ages and skill levels can find all the right angles at VIP Billiards’ 20 pool tables seven days a week. When not sinking shots into the spot’s 120 pockets, cue hands keep busy with bottles of beer or a cocktail from the full-service bar, and all patrons can pass the time between games by throwing darts, sending ping-pong balls careening across tables, or using the WiFi to look up pro tips for applying chalk. VIP Billiards also opens up its space and all the attendant green felt surfaces for private parties, fundraisers, and APA league teams.

O’Reilly’s flame-wielders dish up an eclectic menu of traditional Irish-pub fare amid fetching period décor and games fit for the whole family. Imbue taste buds with the savory flavors of a twice-baked shrimp potato ($7.48) before unbridling a gallant fleet of forks upon a legion of irish-sausage links straddled with mashed potatoes and sautéed onions ($14.98). Or invoke the Earl of Sandwich without donning a fluffernutter-encrusted crown by perusing O’Reilly’s selection of handheld eats, which includes the succulent short-rib grilled-cheese sandwich slathered in horseradish sauce ($10.48) and the Bookmaker—a robust layering of filet mignon, sautéed onions, and mushrooms ($13.48). Homemade by O’Reilly’s crack chefs, the strawberry-rhubarb cobbler robes itself with regal dollops of whipped and sweetened Jameson butter ($4.98).

Owners Deyong Liu and Hiro Nagata have installed eight individual hibachi grills throughout Tombo's interior, staffing each station with a skilled chef to give diners an up-close and entertaining view of meal preparation. Chicken, steak, seafood, and tofu sizzle atop each hibachi station and are paired with sautéed noodles, steamed white rice, and mixed vegetables for a complete and satisfying meal. Diners sip on sake, wine, beer, or Tiki Room cocktails as they chat with companions or belt out evening karaoke and can order a keepsake photo to commemorate the meal or confirm an alibi.

T.J. Finley's Public House has been reviewed by The New York Times. Yelpers give it an average of 4.5 stars and 91% of over 20 Urbanspooners recommend it.