Ten Mile Brewing has long been home to mini-festivals. The recently minted Cambodian food festival and its annual Cambodian New Year celebrations immediately come to mind. However, the one that is likely most cherished by its owners is its annual Cajun Fest, now in its third year. And this festival allows some Long Beach food staples to showcase their skills differently come Mar. 1.
Why the Cajun Fest—at least for Long Beach—belongs at Ten Mile.
For the Sundstrom family—father and son Dan and Jesse are owners of Ten Mile Brewing—Cajun and Creole culture and cooking are an inherent part of their clan. Dan was a food photographer for two decades, whose subjects created a deep respect for food within the familia. Unquestionably one of those chefs? Chef Paul Prudhomme, whose lauded and seminal “Louisiana Kitchen” cookbook is a Southern must.
And for Jesse, it is one of the most lacking parts in what would otherwise be a thriving Long Beach food culture.
“Long Beach has a fantastic food scene but one cuisine severely lacking is Cajun and Creole food,” Jesse said. “I want to bring a taste of not only the South, but the food I grew up on. Each year, this festival kind of represents a full-circle moment. My father learned from the greatest chefs of our time. He taught me most everything I know about food and now we get to show others what we love.”
What does that “show off” consist of? Cajun-dry rubbed grilled chicken. Louisiana staple Killer Shrimp. And three different Cajun meat pies—featuring everything from andouille and beef to pork and sweet potato.
Joining the Cajun Fest are two Long Beach (and Ten Mile) staples.
If there is one thing to celebrate, it is resiliency. Like every big city, Long Beach has had to mourn losses of businesses it has loved. And with Shady Grove Foods, it has been nothing short of a roller coaster: What once was a popup became a brick-and-mortar and then returned to a popup. Whatever footing a Long Beach business holds best, that is the one we will support. So we’re thrilled to see Shady Grove thriving in the popup world—and that includes this year’s Cajun Fest.
They will be serving up bacon cracklins, shrimp po’ boys, and their much-loved smoked meatloaf—which will be served on buttermilk biscuits smothered in brown sauce—and their smoked chicken and andouille gumbo.
Joining them will be none other than Chef Chad Phuong, the Cambodian Cowboy of Battambong BBQ. He’ll be doing a crawfish boil—a staple of his since his beginning days in making food, creating a locally famous Cajun sauce he once bottled and sold—and smoked twako fried rice.
Cajun Food Fest takes place at Ten Mile Brewing’s parking lot, located at 1136 Willow St. in Signal Hill, on Mar. 1 from noon to 6PM.
