Personalities

Hoss Zare

Hoss's Links:

Zare at Flytrap

Hoss Zare Executive Chef/Owner

It wasn’t until Hoss opened Zaré at Flytrap in San Francisco in 2008 that he delved deeply into Persian cuisine. He took it as an opportunity to introduce people to the cultural wealth and heritage of his homeland by combining Mediterranean and modern Persian food. At Zaré at Fly Trap, Hoss entertains diners all week long with food and beverage programs created by the best Bay Area talents in an extraordinary space that pays tribute to the history of San Francisco. Born in Tabriz, Iran, Hoss Zaré immigrated to San Francisco in 1986 joining his older brother who had moved to the city a decade earlier. Almost immediately, Hoss began cooking to pay the bills while working his way through pre-medical coursework at the University of California at Davis. Hoss soon realized that working in the kitchen had become an essential creative outlet and ceased his medical studies. In 1989, he decided to continue cooking at The Fly Trap in San Francisco, where as Craig Thomas' sous chef, Hoss was encouraged to add his own perspective to the art of fine dining. After about a year, he was primed to take over the helm and ran the kitchen at The Fly Trap to rave reviews until 1992. As a self-trained chef with a solid grasp of traditional French and American cuisine, Hoss decided to expand his culinary knowledge at South Park’s Ristorante Ecco. He found the restaurant’s Italian style of cuisine aligned with his own experience and perspective. Within a year, he took over the stove at Ecco, where again he acquired terrific reviews. Next up was Aromi, a popular Italian spot on Polk St. Hoss took over the restaurant, infused it with his style, and began to gain the recognition necessary to go out on his own. In 1996, Hoss did just that on Sacramento St. with his first restaurant, Zaré. Thanks to his over-the-top sense of hospitality and unique style of Mediterranean cuisine, Hoss built a devoutly loyal following at his Pacific Heights location. In 1999, he reclaimed Aromi and reincarnated the restaurant as Bistro Zaré. After years building a name for himself, Hoss's passion for wine and the Slow Food movement lured him to relocate to Napa. Zaré Napa opened in 2005 featuring a Mediterranean-inspired wine country menu focused on community-provided produce. Yet as time went on, Hoss craved the energy of the city and his friends and family in San Francisco. He set his sights on returning to the place that so warmly embraced him when he first arrived in the U.S. Not only did Hoss crave the city, but his customers demanded his return.