With the aplomb of a multi-tasking mother, Diane Gross shifts her 7-month-old son, Marley, from hip to counter as she sniffs a glass of Raptor Ridge Pinot Gris, all the while listening to the cellar master from Oregon pitching New World wines for her modern shop, Cork Market & Tasting Room in Logan Circle.

“I always let him smell, too,” she says as the baby tries to lock his lips on the rim. “It’s about the curiosity.” Marley nuzzles his head into her neck as his mom takes a sip, swirls it in her mouth and spits.

The arrangement seems to work for the both of them.

“You get to make up your rules,” Gross says about managing the roles of hands-on mom and co-owner with her husband of the market and the restaurant across the street, Cork Wine Bar. “Restaurants are hard, because of the hours and how much you work. But you can bring your baby to work, and as long as he’s not screaming, everybody thinks he’s cute and nobody really cares.”

Gross’s assessment is spot on, as demonstrated by the wine rep tickling Marley’s feet and Cork’s accountant asking, “Can I hold him? I need my baby fix!”

This weekend, Gross, 41, and several other new Washington moms in the restaurant business will mark their first Mother’s Day — most likely on the job. The holiday is yet another thing Gross must fit into her busy schedule. As parents everywhere can attest, a new baby brings major scheduling adjustments. Women in the industry sometimes find it’s easier to manage than other working moms do because of the built-in flexibility. Working and mothering, though, don’t always allow time for cooking and proper eating. Read the full article.