Mikey famously said, “Try it. You’ll like it.” That sentiment certainly applies to the latest local specialty food products created and distributed by Bays to Bayous in Fairhope, Alabama. The inspiration for the products originates from Mobile family matriarch Ann Bridgeman, an epicurean legend around these parts. The products include West Indies Salad ready-mix marinade, Spicy Bloody Mary mix, Creole Lemon dressing, Lemon-stuffed olives, and Spicy Pickled asparagus. 

I sat down with Ann’s son, Billy Curtright, to learn more about this new local start-up developed from mom’s famous recipes. I first sampled Bays to Bayous West Indies Salad and Bloody Mary mix at The Garage Studio during Fairhope’s Arts and Crafts Festival. Billy’s sister, Laura, along with her husband, Doug Glassburn, her two grown children, Emory Jones and Anabel Bamberg, and Billy are the heart and soul of the operation. I thought both samples were terrific!

The story behind the start-up is as good as the products themselves, rich with local tradition and family history. Billy credits his sister, Laura Cutright Glassburn, as the brainchild behind Bays to Bayous specialty foods. It’s a generational family affair, featuring a love of cooking, family meals, and slight variations on tried and true recipes.

With deep ties to the epicurean scene, Mom Ann was a family lawyer in Mobile, whose true passion was in the family kitchen where she created fabulous meals. Growing up, the family spent summers at their family’s beach house on the Little Lagoon in Gulf Shores. The home on the Little Lagoon was hit hard by Hurricane Frederick, but the family still gathers at Ono Island each summer. This is where the idea to honor their mom with a specialty food business took shape.

“Mom loved everything about cooking; reading cookbooks, trying new recipes, and learning different cooking techniques. She even went to Paris to study with Jacques Pépin, the highly influential French chef, author, culinary educator, and television personality. She married her French cooking style with her Mobile-epicurean roots, mixing local seafood and fresh produce to create wonderful food experiences,” says Billy.

Ann, now in her late 80’s, resides at Westminster Village in Spanish Fort. She and her children (and grandchildren) often reminisce about the time they spent together around the dinner table. “We served as her guinea pigs, and she even turned our guest house on McGregor Avenue in Mobile into a French Cooking School.”

In fact, in the 1990s, Ann purchased property on De la Mare Avenue  in Fairhope, built a beautiful building, and opened Fairhope’s first fine-dining establishment, Aubergine. It was a special treat to dine there, and I remember it well. It was a family affair. Laura served as the first manager, and I was the first maitre d and bartender. It is now the home of Aubergine Culinary Antiques and Oriental Rugs.”

The genesis for Bays to Bayous was the family kitchen where all sorts of fresh local seafood became Creole dishes like grandmother’s gumbo, etouffee, and jambalaya. “We were a test kitchen,” says Billy. “These recipes have been handed down for generations and have specific taste profiles unique to Mobile and Baldwin County..” 

Billy, who was the second food editor for Lagniappe magazine, tells me his mom enjoyed entertaining, and “religion and politics were never discussed around the dinner table.” Billy studied marketing and history at The University of Alabama, and has spent most of his career in sales. When Laura suggested at their family get-together last summer that she was considering taking some of mom’s old recipes and creating a line of specialty food items, the idea was quickly embraced by the rest of the family. Soon everyone was involved.”

Billy reminisces about growing up watching his dad throw a 16’ cast net in the Little Lagoon and the fish fries with freshly caught mullet. The conversation the family had last summer quickly turned into action. Through family connections, they soon located a local bottler who could take the recipes and package all of the products. 

“Mom loved planning a menu, and we all enjoy taking something we love at a restaurant and recreating it. My success rate for duplicating recipes is about 50%,” says Billy with a laugh. There is a story behind each Bays to Bayous specialty food item. “Laura mentioned that no one had ever produced a bottled self-made West Indies salad marinade. We all jumped on board.” The recipe is tweaked from the original Bill Bailey recipe found in the Junior League cookbook,  Recipe Jubilee.

The Lemon-stuffed olives were a favorite for Ann to enjoy in a martini. “No one made them stuffed with lemons,” Billy says. “Mom would buy Queen Martini olives, punch out the pimientos, and stuff them with lemon.  That way, she could have both an olive AND a twist. So, we decided that would be an appropriate way to honor Mom. And they are delicious!”

The Creole Lemon Dressing is an old family recipe used as a marinade or sauce. It’s so good with just about anything, from grilled meats and fish to pasta salads. Billy tells me the pickled asparagus goes well with anything, but especially their upscale Spicy Bloody Mary mix. “We just got picked up by Joe Patti’s in Pensacola,” Billy says proudly. “Pirates Cove is going through two cases of Bloody Mary mix per week.”

The recent Oyster Revel hosted by The Scout Guide at Fort Conde was a huge success. The afternoon featured locally sourced oysters from Gulf Coast farmers, chef tastings, craft cocktails, and live music with proceeds benefiting the local non-profit, FUSE Project. “Bays to Bayous was a huge hit,” he says.

‍

So far, everything has been handled by family members with a little help from friends. “Stephanie Easterling from Wildflowers has been great, as well as Mary Beth Greene from MB Greene. Tricia Dorgan Littleton (Little Point Clear and now, Little Point Clear Scenic Inn, formerly Baron’s Inn in Fairhope) is one of Laura’s good friends, and has been a tremendous help.” 

Laura, who has been in pharmaceutical & medical supply sales her entire career, created most of the product line and ingredients, and her husband, Doug, a retired engineer with a degree from Purdue, works as CFO and oversees delivery. Billy is frontline sales and “Chief Bottle Washer.” Laura’s daughter, Anabel, is an ace at promoting the brand online and on social media. It’s a family affair that is rapidly taking off. “In December 2025, we went full bore. We received our first product in February this year, and sales are growing every day.”

As Laura told the group at The Garage Studio where we first sampled the Bloody Mary mix and the West Indies Salad, “This idea has been marinating for a while. Once the idea was discussed last summer, it’s been a fun project inspired by our mother, Ann.”

I can tell you the West Indies marinade makes a great crab meat appetizer. All you need is a fresh onion, a pound of lump crabmeat, and the Bays to Bayous marinade, with some saltines, of course. For those unaccustomed, West Indies Salad is not well known outside the Scenic 98 Coastal area. It’s truly a local favorite.

All the Bays to Bayous items make for delicious entertaining. “Food and creating new recipes has been a big part of our family’s enjoyment together.”

I can see that, and it is truly something very special. This was a fun story to be part of. Thanks so much, Billy, Laura, Doug, Anabel, Emory, and especially, Ann!

Bays to Bayous specialty food products can be found all along the Gulf Coast from Ocean Springs, MS to Destin, FL in specialty markets and grocery stores, seafood shops, butcher shops, and select lifestyle stores. For more information, go to baystobayous.com.