Chef Hoss Zare in San Francisco

Zare’s first job, when he landed in San Francisco, was in the kitchen of The Fly Trap, a storied restaurant frequented by San Francisco’s glitterati. By 1992, he was running the kitchen, and in 2008 he bought it, changing the name to Zare at The Fly Trap and introducing subtle and exciting Persian influences dish by dish. “I had a story to tell,” said Zare, 56, looking back. “About Iran; about culture; about hospitality.”