Restaurant opening: Choripan by Asado opened today at Tacoma's Museum of Glass

Choripan by Asado opened today inside the Museum of Glass. The restaurant is an outpost of Sixth Avenue's Asado, an Argentina inspired steakhouse. Choripan is owned by X Group Restaurants, which also owns Masa, across the street from Asado, and the nearby Engine House No. 9. On the menu at Choripan is "an approachable take on Argentine street food."

X Group Executive Chef Joel Mertens designed a menu that borrows from Argentina's choripan carts, which he described by email as "almost like hot dog carts here." The name cobbles together two Argentinean words - "chori" for chorizo sausage, and "pan" for bread. At Choripan by Asado, expect a mix-and-match menu. Pick a protein (chorizo, chicken, steak, tofu or braised pork), then pick the style (baguette, quinoa bowl or salad). Find more menu details in my interview last month with Mertens. For more background on the restaurant, read my story from December.

Choripan by Asado will replace Gallucci's Catering, operator of the Museum of Glass cafe for four years. Adrielle Flinders, who handles sales and marketing for the catering company, said, "We've been there a long time, and we decided it was time to try some new things." One of those new things is a catering contract with Maple Valley's Olson Mansion.

Note: Visitors can dine at the Choripan cafe without buying admission to the museum.

Choripan by Asado Where: Museum of Glass, 1801 Dock St., Tacoma Info: 253-284-4750 or www.museumofglass.orgHours: Same as museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday–Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for Third Thursday Artwalk.

This story was originally published January 11, 2012 at 6:22 AM with the headline "Restaurant opening: Choripan by Asado opened today at Tacoma's Museum of Glass ."