Joe Petro had a dream: a vision of a craft beer and wine bistro with an eclectic vibe paired with the consequences of the best hops, grapes, and noshes! Tapas/lite fare/small plates/mezze...however you frame it, “tastes” are a hip hit, especially when supported by wine, beer, and mocktails. The new digs, Snifter’s Craft Beer and Wine Bistro, appears to be very progressive with a staff described as quirky, fun, extremely knowledgeable, and helpful.
The libations retail side of Petro’s two-part business—Hair O’ The Dog (referred to as “The Dog”)—led the way for the bistro dream with carefully chosen selections from small producers of wine, beer, and liquors. You can now order a bottle of brew, a mocktail or glass of vino, or even a selection of “flights” next door at Snifter’s, which has a choice of stools around the bar, a few tables, as well as comfy lounging spaces with padded chairs and sofas.
Snifter’s now opens at 2:30 p.m. most days, for a late lunch or very early happy hour. We spoke with Petro about the business.
In reference to Snifter’s, you mention, “a lot of years in the making.” What is the story behind that comment? I have contemplated, for many years, opening a bistro that mirrored what we have done for fifteen years on the retail side at Hair O’ The Dog. In other words, small family producers, unique varietals, local products, et cetera. We have created a new space that is fun, educational, and experiential!
How long have you been in business? Give us an overview of the history. I opened the business in August of 2004 with a location on the east side of town. In 2007, I opened a second location adjacent to my current store, where Snifter’s is now located. In 2012, I consolidated both stores into my current wine and spirits location. In June of 2018, I opened Snifter’s and, at first, we literally had an open door from the retail store to Snifter’s. Now we have changed our liquor license and will go to a full-service restaurant, so in that case we closed off the door and decided to make Snifter’s its own entity.
Do you have partners in this business expansion? Yes, my sister and brother-in-law have partnered with me in this expansion.
What is your background to have two bustling businesses? Other than having been a casual drinker, I had no background in the business prior to starting Hair O’ The Dog. I have a BS degree in Business and was a CPA, so I had an overall business background and a love of numbers from the get go. This was always my vision.
Where do you get your food inspiration for small plates? Do you have a chef that implements these ideas? The inspiration for the menu comes from our extremely talented Chef Rob Quimby and his partner, Tim Redmond, along with some of the concepts I have experienced over the years. Chef and Tim have dozens of years’ experience with Chef Quimby working in St. Michaels and also for Latitude 38 in Oxford for years. They have total free reign to do whatever they think will make our customers happy! Chef gets inspiration from homestyle cooking as he grew up with his parents cooking everything in one cast-iron pan. He cooks as if feeding his mother, who is a tough customer. One of the specials he always offers is a sea scallop dish of many different interpretations. He says he’s very good at cooking scallops! Chef Quimby started at what he says is the triple sink (washing dishes) and moved up from there.
How often have you been doing the Wine School classes? Do you teach them? How well attended are they? We have done wine classes off and on, since Snifter’s opened. They are always sold out as we’ve learned that consumers always enjoy learning and tasting new wines. I teach the classes and we plan on doing these once a month now.
What fun that you have a Comedy Night and from your social media history, some even sell out. Tell us about them. Comedy nights have been a resounding success! Each one has sold out. For $25 guests hear four different comedians in a great and casual environment while enjoying awesome food, wine, and beer. We hold them once a month.
It looks like you have a very full roster of activities. What are some of the other events? We’ve started something called Yoga-Mosas. We’ve had about 25 people taking a one-hour yoga class, then we partake in mimosas and some really good nibbles. Then there is our Opionation Game Night and we will even do a Ballroom Dancing event complete with lessons.
We’ve added a full liquor license to create a wider array of tastings and flights along with some incredible events. We will be majoring in “flights” and will focus on flights of mainly gin, but also bourbon, rum, and our spirits. Recently my wife, Vicki, and I traveled to Barcelona, Spain, where we experienced a stellar gin bar doing flights. It was incredible and we will recreate that here as we are heavy on the gin side in our retail store. We’ll also offer a Gin Class where they make their own botanical “tea bag” to infuse flavor.
Wine Dinners are held once a month featuring a four-course meal pairing a wine with a specific region. We are going to do a special bubbles dinner and pair prosecco, cava, and champagne with food to show the bubblies are not just for a toast, but marry well with different courses.
Mussels with White Wine and Garlic
Serves two
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups white wine freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 pounds mussels, cleaned and debearded 6 ounces butter 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 2 slices grilled bread
Instructions
Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and let sizzle for about 30 seconds, stirring for about 45 seconds. Quickly pour in wine into the pan and season with black pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, stir in mussels, and cover immediately. Shake pot and let boil for 1 minute. Add 6 ounces butter. Stir mussels, replace cover, and let boil for 2 more minutes. The shells will begin to open. Stir in half of parsley, cover pot, and cook until all shells are open, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve with grilled bread and sprinkle with remaining parsley.
