Hotel Burnham is in a building so steeped in Chicago history, it would be a shame to mess with it.

So let’s not mess. Let’s perfect.

Let’s make its restaurant, Atwood, a brighter, lighter and altogether happier place to be. And let’s make that happen starting first thing tomorrow in the Loop.

The 1895 building was one of the world’s first steel-framed skyscrapers (Al Capone’s dentist had an office here). Then, in 1999, it became Hotel Burnham with Atwood Cafe on the ground floor.

Neat.

But here’s how it’s changed since:

Then: Heavy drapes. Carpets. Shades of 1895.
Now: Marble and subway tile in all the right places and an iconic view of the Loop. It looks out at the historic Marshall Fields Great Clock, which is apparently how people told time before cell phones.

Then: A place to take your mom before the theater.
Now: A place for business lunches at the big tufted banquette near the door. Maybe a party at the chef’s table while feasting on duck-fat chicken thighs with sriracha glaze. Mom still approves.

Then: The bar was too small.
Now: It’s just right. A place where you can lunch on lamb cheesesteaks and drink Dapper Scotsmans (scotch, Campari, lemon...) without feeling mobbed.

Capone joke.