This week, Gretchen Kurtz made a beeline for Abejas in Golden, where she interviewed chef Nicholas Ames about working a Toyota factory cafeteria and his love of ramen. Mark Antonation rustled up a few fried pork tenderloin sandwiches, a rarity in Denver but a big slab of comfort for displaced Midwesterners (who may or may not be a distinct ethnic group). And we whittled down our year-end list of the most promising new restaurants of 2015 into the ten best restaurants to open last year.

In other news:

RESTAURANTS/BARS OPENING THIS WEEK:*
Caribou Coffee & Einstein Bros. Bagels, 14315 Orchard Parkway, Westminster
Pop's Place, 2020 Lawrence Street
Sunshine Bowls (inside Caveau Wine Bar), 450 East 17th Avenue
Syrup, 1875 York Street

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

• Second Helpings