Homestyle @ the Market

Maureen and Chef Hassan are the main ingredients at Homestyle Caterers.

Homestyle Caterers have been with the market since our inaugural season in 2009 and they're still as popular as ever.  As you stroll through the market the irresistible aroma of stuffed peppers, chicken pot pies, spinach pie and an array of home cooked foods will draw you to their tent where you'll find a wide selection of handcrafted foods prepared lovingly by Chef Hassan.
Chef Hassan came to the U.S. from Alexandria, Egypt and landed in Boston. While working at Anthony's Pier Four restaurant he met a nice Irish girl named Maureen and sparks began to fly. They married and bought a house in Braintree, because of the great school system, and raised their three children, Nora, Ameera and David. They opened the Ship's Wheel restaurant in Weymouth Landing and Chef Hassan brought his two teen-aged brothers, Hamdi and Mustapha and a sister, Sana, from Egypt and everyone worked together in the restaurant for several years. The Chef's next venture was a Middle-Eastern restaurant in Quincy called The Oasis. They had live traditional music and belly dancers entertained every evening. The Oasis had a menu made up mostly of the wonderfully flavorful foods that Hassan learned from helping his mother cook. He was the eldest of ten children and pitched in on a regular basis while growing up which are the same recipes he still uses today. Many of the Oasis customers came from the large Syrian and Lebanese population in the Quincy Point area and many were newcomers who loved the cuisine.

When the Oasis was sold Chef Hassan was thinking about making his life less hectic and more enjoyable. Running a restaurant is hard work with very long hours and not a lot of time for a personal life so he decided to focus solely on catering and opened the Homestyle Caterers commissary in Quincy in 2001. When the Hassans heard about the new hometown farmer's market they wanted to be part of it. The idea of having fresh, local produce, foods, and natural products in an open market in the center of town on a Saturday morning sounded wonderful. And so, the Homestyle Caterers crew has spent the past five years schmoozing with neighbors, friends, and the Braintree Farmer's Market vendors and volunteers over hot lobster pies, baked macaroni, savory falafel roll-ups, blueberry scones and much more on Saturday mornings.  Drop by and find out why Homestyle is a market favorite.