The XYZ  Bar and Restaurant at the W Hotel in San Francisco has been the central meeting spot and watering hole for the working,  hip city crowd since it opened in May 1999.  Whether it was attendees and exhibitors from the nonstop conventions at Moscone Center (think Oracle Open World in October or MacWorld in January), tourists in for a San Francisco treat or just the locals walking around in the SoMa area looking for a quick in/out venue that served good food, the XYZ was it.

XYZ Restaurant on August 24, 2011 - this will all change, furniture and all!

But in an effort to evolve with the W’s new strategy of localizing each hotel, the W is set to open its new restaurant, Trace on September 5.   The Upstairs Bar above Trace is  also slated to reopen on the same day.  Prepare to be impressed by the new design and concept.  We can’t wait for the big Reveal!

The new TRACE Restaurant (Image courtesy of Stanley Saitowitz / Natoma Architects)

XYZ’s long time Executive Chef Paul Piscopo will maintain his dedication to  socially responsible food and lead the team at  Trace.  Chef Piscopo’s cuisine is clean, pure, uncomplicated food that can confidently be traced back to its natural origins. Taking the concept of “farm to table” further into  “farm to city”, both the cuisine and its presentation are approachable and relaxed.

Michael Pace, the hotel’s GM says “With seasonally driven selections and a menu that has minimal impact on the environment, the restaurant perfectly reflects our commitment to sustainable practices which informs everything we do.”

The restaurant  remodel is the first phase of the hotel’s redesign of the public areas.  The total redesign will include a new look and feel for the  Living Room lobby  and bar as well.   The latter two  is expected to be completed at the end of September / early October.  Chef Piscopo’s cuisine will also  be featured in the Living Room Bar, which will offer premium wines and eight local beers on tap, as well as an extensive cocktail menu featuring classic favorites crafted from locally distilled spirits.  The new Upstairs bar and lounge will focus on the highest quality cocktails and top shelf liquors.

Uniquely San Francisco, designer Stanley Saitowitz created a literal translation of a city engulfed in fog in the building’s interior.  In his own words, “One of the remarkable aspects of the city is the relentless grid that structures it, stretched out over the landscape like some encrusted map. The other is the fog which rolls in and out of the city like a living glacier.  It is these two element, the ground and the sky, the map and the fog, that are presented in the design”.

The W has long been my favorite hotel in the city. It’s modern, funky and sophisticated and yet so ironically intimate.   GM Michael Pace is constantly mingling and milling around—staying in personal touch not just with the staff, but with his guests. His partnership with Chef Piscopo has been a magical and successful combination that will no doubt continue to bring the locals and tourists back over and over and over again.

Trace and the new lobby and bar area of the W Hotel is set to open on Sept 5.  For more information, please visit www.wsanfrancisco.com or call 415 777 5300.  The hotel is located at 181 Third street, San Francisco.

Click on the thumbnails below for a sampling of lunch at Trace.  Trace’s menu will feature a selection of small and family style shared plates, as well as seasonal salads and sandwiches.