From Fish to Fowl: A Second Helping of Westword Food & Drink, January 4-8

Restaurant critic Gretchen Kurtz said goodbye this week, but only as the weekly restaurant reviewer. She'll still be keeping an (anonymous) eye on the restaurant scene, but will be easing back on the nightly dinners out. Mark Antonation vows to eat more in 2016 — or at least more good food from the city's vast variety of international restaurants and markets. And that won't be an easy task, as week one of the new year is already keeping pace with 2015; we've already seen a fried-chicken specialist, a sleek sushi bar, a burger joint and a vegan diner throw open their doors to new business.

And over in our Arts & Culture section, Lindsey Bartlett stopped by the brand-new Pon Pon Bar (which opened in the last days of 2015) in RiNo to sip cocktails and ogle the art at the uber-hip lounge and gallery.

Here's a breakdown of the week's openings and closings.

RESTAURANTS/BARS OPENING THIS WEEK*
Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, 8501 West Bowles Avenue
GoodBird Kitchen, 1258 South Hover Street, Longmont
Handy Diner, 2958 Downing Street
Sushi Ronin, 2930 Umatilla Street

RESTAURANTS/BARS REOPENING THIS WEEK*
Tacos Jalisco (reopened after interior upgrades), 4309 West 38th Avenue

RESTAURANTS/BARS TEMPORARILY CLOSING THIS WEEK*
Thai Basil (closed for remodel), 540 East Alameda Avenue

RESTAURANTS/BARS CLOSING THIS WEEK*
Brook's Steakhouse, 6538 South Yosemite Circle, Greenwood Village
Strange Grounds, 1417 South Broadway
Sunnyside Burger Bar, 3759 Lipan Street (will reopen as a TAG Burger Bar later this month)

*Or earlier, and not mentioned in a previous Second Helping.