Bartender of the
Month
PHOTO Sabina Sister INTERVIEW Skye McDonald
Chatting about how you mix motherhood and quality cocktails with Katie DiSimone from Mercato Ristorante & Bar How did you get started at Mercato? My father-in-law is the owner’s accountant, and they needed someone to work a party. So did that and then ended up here a few nights a week. I’d been doing a lot of bartending previously for about 10 years, but I stopped working when I had my children, and I had been out of the business for about five years. This was a perfect fit to get back into the business. What do you enjoy most? I like how social and fast-paced it is. And I have little kids, so after I’m with them for the
earlier part of the day, I come in here. It’s like combining a night out and work at the same time. Do you think that becoming a mother has helped you behind the bar? At this point in my life, I’m more mature. Working here and being a mother, I think I am a naturally-caring person, even with the staff. There are all sorts of people here to look after. How do you maintain your energy? That’s just the way I am. I’m not suited for sitting. I do enjoy that I’m on my feet and moving around. Welcoming people as guests here is a part of my personality. What do you love most about interacting with people across the bar? I like hearing different people’s stories. Just making sure that everyone has an enjoyable experience here and catering to their individual needs is fun and challenging. What're your favorite drinks on the menu? I like the classic cocktails, but our most popular cocktail is the Blood Orange Cosmopolitan. It’s a traditional Cosmo, but it has blood orange purée. It’s a beautiful color and tastes great. We also have a Mercato Bellini, which
is like a Peach Bellini with blood orange purée, St-Germain, Prosecco, and amarena cherries. It’s a wonderful combination of flavors. Do you feel there's more freedom here than at an office job? Absolutely. It’s so flexible. I enjoy this work, but it also just works really well with my life and who I am. I like to be physical and flexible. I’m home with my kids most of the time, so I don’t have to make sacrifices with them. The same energy with looking after my children carries over to the bar. I really like it. A lot of people might think that it’s something you do before you have kids, but it just works right now. Every part of your life should always be like, “Wow, this is the best right now!” Whatever I'm doing in five years, I should still think, "This is the best." What're you most proud of in this gig? Being Bartender of the Month, of course! I’m going to cut this out and hang it on my refrigerator! Before I worked at Mercato, I was always just “Mommy,” but now everyone around me has brought me back to finally feeling like myself.
NOVEMBER 2017 THEWCPRESS.COM
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