Issue 4 | December 15, 201510 Hoofbeat Entertainment

Reviving Refreshments: Westroads mall set to open Flagship Commons food hall Priya KukrejaEntertainment Editor

Revamping Renovations: The rendering of the new Flag-ship Commons food mall at Westroads is projected to be completed in late December. The food hall will include nine gourmet, innovative food concepts. Photos Contrib-uted by Megan Longo

From Teriyaki Chicken at Sarku Japan, to Philly’s Sand-wiches at Charlie’s, to Pieta Bread at Sam’s Gyros, every-one has enjoyed a quick meal at a local food court. How-ever, branching away from traditional suburban mall options, the first food hall to hit the Midwest is open-ing its doors this December.

Westroads Mall has part-nered with Flagship Restaurant Group (FRG) to develop an

innovate concept called Flag-ship Commons, a multifac-eted indoor restaurant market featuring a variety of vendors.

“This food hall proj-ect is unlike anything else in the Midwest. We believe that Omaha residents are ready for from-scratch, el-evated fast casual spots and better restaurant options, and that’s exactly what we’re bringing to Westroads Mall,” FRG CEO Nick Hogan said.

Shopping malls across the nation are aiming to rework elegant food halls into shop-

ping centers instead of stereo-typical food courts. Omaha’s Westroads Mall is no exception.

“We want to dispel what you want to know about a food court. The difference is going to be in the design, en-ergy, and overall atmosphere. The environment is warmer and cozy, as opposed to a tra-ditionally bright and open food court,” FRG Marketing Director Megan Longo said.

Along with the modern at-mosphere, the Flagship Com-mons is incorporating unique food options. The hall will feature new locations for three local eateries along with five completely new concepts (see graphic on right for details).

“Food options are more focused, taking gourmet ideas and making them casual and affordable. The food is better, it’s fresh, it’s not frozen, and it’s not made in an assembly line. We have engineered our menus to provide the best tasting product while maximizing its value for the guest,” Longo said.

In addition to the specialty eateries, visitors will have the privilege of a full service bar and an oversized fire place. Seating options will vary from restau-rant specific areas to a combi-nation of high-top, traditional, lounge, and banquet seating.

The innovative food cen-ter is being constructed be-tween Younkers and the AMC Theater, on track to open in mid-December and predicted to change the face of shopping mall dining in the Midwest.

Festive Favorites:2015 Most Popular Holiday Albums

Aromas Coffeehouse - Responsibly sourced, locally roasted, and prepared by expert hands in a small convenient kiosk.

Yum Roll by Blue Sushi Sake Grill - Yum Roll will serve maki, sashimi, nigiri, and yum yum bowls using quality sea-food, fresh vegetable and other yummy ingredients to create a fun and flavorful dining experience.

Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob - Explor-ing flavors of India, Africa, Turkey & Egypt, this concept packs the best spic-es and sauces from around the world into a simple menu, including vegetar-ian, gluten-free and kid-friendly options.

Weirdough Pizza - Crispy gourmet focaccia-style crust, house made sauc-es, freshly-grated cheeses, and hand-topped with seasonal ingredients, defi-nitely not like traditional pizza.

Juan Taco - A casual camper-type en-vironment with tasty tacos served in a setting reminiscent of a food truck park.

Yoshi-Ya Ramen - Omaha’s first authen-tic ramen shop with seemingly simple yet complex ingredients all living har-moniously together to create flavorful dishes.

Clever Greens - A salad shop with fresh ingredients for salad lovers and salad haters. Each dish is anything but bland rabbit food.

Blatt Beer & Table - Build for people who appreciate craft beer and curated pub food, all meals are fresh and hand-made.

Flagship Commons Food HallFeautured Gourmet Concepts

Olivia JohannesFeatures Editor

For many, the day after Halloween means the begin-ning of the holiday season. One of the best parts of the holi-days, apart from the food, is the music. From the jazzy clas-sics to the pop-infused covers, holiday music has the power to

bring together friends and fam-ily and spread holiday cheer.

In the last 20 years, art-ists from all different genres have produced their own version of holiday classics. Whether it is Taylor Swift’s upbeat country Christmas or NSYNC’s melodic pop Christ-mas album, there is a genre for everyone’s music taste.

According to data col-lected by Billboard Music, the album most listened to this year is Penatonix’s “That’s Christmas to Me”. Following the top spot, the much-adored “Christmas” by Michael Buble takes second place. These holi-day classics find there way to the top of the charts every year during this joyful time of year.

Since it’s release last year, fans couldn’t get enough of this acapella group’s melodic Christmas album. Digital Journal remarks that the al-bum is “truly, remarkable… with pin-point precision” explaining it’s top spot on the music charts this month.

Swift covers Christmas classics such as: “Santa Baby”, “Last Christmas” and “White Christmas”, in her short but sweet holiday EP. All of the songs on the album feature country elements typical to most country ballads and Swift’s well-known melodic voice.

After his album release, Bublé was quickly a holiday must have. The al-bum covers all major holiday songs including, “Santa Claus is coming to Town”. Bublé’s iconic voice brings new life to the classics, making it one of the most frequently played yearly.

Justin Bieber’s holiday album “Un-der the Mistletoe” was a massive hit, filled with original songs such as “Fa La La”, “Mistletoe”, and “Christmas Wish”. Bieber adds another dose of talent by featuring artists including Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, and Usher.

This pop-infused album debuts iconic, original songs to the holidays such as “Love’s in Our Hearts on Christmas”, along with classics in-cluding “I’ll be home for Christmas”, creating adoring chilling harmonies associated with NSYNC’s legacy.

Pentatonix2014

NSYNC1995

Taylor Swift2007

Michael Bublé2007

Justin Bieber2011

Flagship Commons will bring original fast-casual and full-service concepts together to serve a common purpose: serve fresh,

gourmet food and drink in a fun, casual atmosphere. The eateries below will be featured in the new area.

*Album reccomendations based on MN student preferences