Baby on the hip, eating on the go

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

“I always let him smell, too,” she says as the baby tries tolock his lips on the rim. “It’s about the curiosity.” Marley nuzzles his headinto 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 managingthe roles of hands-on mom and co-owner with her husband of the market and therestaurant across the street, Cork Wine Bar. “Restaurants are hard, because ofthe hours and how much you work. But you can bring your baby to work, and aslong as he’s not screaming, everybody thinks he’s cute and nobody reallycares.”

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

This weekend, Gross, 41, and several other new Washington moms in therestaurant business will mark their first Mother’s Day — most likely on thejob. The holiday is yet another thing Gross must fit into her busy schedule. Asparents everywhere can attest, a new baby brings major scheduling adjustments.Women in the industry sometimes find it’s easier to manage than other workingmoms 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.