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FOODIE
At Miller’s, Game
Day Is Serious Business
By Danny & Company/foodie@longislandernews.com
For football fans, Sunday is showtime
for America’s gridiron rivalries, and Miller’s Ale
House aims to please.
With locations in Deer Park and Levittown, the ale house features
big-screen TVs, broadcasting the every move of the home teams
(we saw New York Jets QB Mark Sanchez take a serious header
during Sunday’s game from our tables). Waiters and waitresses
mill about in team-appropriate jerseys. In the sprawling Levittown
location, there’s ample restaurant seating at one end
of the shop; pool tables, sports video games and pub seating
toward the back and a sprawling bar up the middle.
Very apropos, considering their award-winning claim to fame
is the awe-inspiring selection of beers: 75 different types
are ready to go, ranging from inexpensive game day staples
up to more pricey craft beers like Blue Moon, which ran $5.50
a pint.
Founded by Jack and Clarice Miller in 1988, the chain’s
Floridian roots are evident throughout the shop and its history.
The menu boasts lots of seafood and a raw bar, along with
fishing rods, reels and jumbo-sized recreations of various
sea critters hanging from the wood-paneled walls. There’s
also a celeb connection – during a 1998 appearance on
“The Rosie O’Donnell Show,” the five lads of
Orlando-based *NSYNC presented Commack’s very own “Queen
of Nice” with a platter of Miller’s Zingers, or
their boneless buffalo wings, claiming them to be a band favorite.
We tried the zingers in medium sauce and it’s a tasty
benchmark choice – zesty, spicy, with hot, smoky notes,
but not overwhelming. For those who like to breathe fire after
Buffalo wings, give the Mt. St. Helens sauce a shot; if you’re
more sensitive, mild or garlic should be right in your wheelhouse.
The fried calamari is a winner – we especially liked
the sweet-and-sour sauce and Parmesan cheese the tender, lightly-fried
rings came dressed in.
The British Burger is a hearty twist on the bacon cheeseburger,
subbing out American for Swiss cheese. Other sandwich choices
include pulled pork sandwiches with fried onions on top, Philly
chicken cheese steaks, tuna salad sandwiches and Oriental
chicken with rice and cole slaw. Dressed in pineapple, teriyaki
sauce and a dash of pepper, the tender grilled chicken has
a pleasing smoky flavor with an Eastern twist and wild rice.
Prices are moderate – many entrees run under $10 –
and the portions match. Don’t expect to be burdened with
an obscene stack of leftovers unless you go for their nachos,
which are described as “gargantuan,” for about $9.
Bar specials rotate during weekdays, so keep an eye out.
A good deal of the menu is fried, so be prepared to indulge.
This isn’t health food – it’s a place to belly
up to the bar and chow down with a pint as you watch the game
and root, root, root for the home team. Will that mean the
Jets and Giants finally turn the gas on and make it to the
playoffs? Beats us, but at least you’ve got a place to
follow along.
Miller’s
Ale House
1800 The Arches Circle,
Deer Park 631-667-0288
3046 Hempstead Turnpike,
Levittown 516-520-7000
Atmosphere: Bustling, sprawling sports bar
Cuisine: Game day favorites with a seafood flair
Price range: Moderate
Hours, Deer Park:
Mon. - Sat. 11 a.m. – 3 a.m.;
Sun. – 11 a.m. – midnight
Hours, Levittown:
Mon. – Thurs. 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.,
Fri. – Sat. 11 a.m. – 3 a.m.,
Sun. – 11 a.m. – midnight
www.millersalehouse.com
Main
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