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Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

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  • Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

    I recently tried Al-Amir here where I live for lunch. They advertise om their sign that they make Brick Oven Pizza. So me and a co-worker gave it a whirl. It was, to say the least, disappointing. The crust was paper thin and the whole thing just came apart from the grease. Whatever cheese that they use is extremely greasy and it just soaked into everything. I still haven't had any brick oven pizza to rave about. I guess I'll have to finish MY oven and please myself!!!

  • #2
    Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

    sounds like dough , toppings , everything was pretty terrible.

    did they at least have 'truth-in-advertizing' was it a real wood (or Gas) fired oven

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    • #3
      Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

      I couldn't get real close but it looked to be real wood fired oven. But it was in there an awfully long time cooking so I doubt it was heated to anywhere near 700 or 800 degrees.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

        "I guess I'll have to finish MY oven and please myself!!!"

        Spoken like a true oven builder... thats the spirit!
        "Building a Brick oven is the most fun anyone can have by themselves." (Terry Pratchett... slightly amended)

        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/p...pics-2610.html
        http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f9/p...nues-2991.html

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        • #5
          Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

          It is unfortunate that I actually had to sign up to reply to this message.

          Al-Amir is actually a Mediterranean / Middle eastern restaurant. And a fantastic one at that. That said, It is only due to the ignorance and finicky eating habits of patrons in this area that force them to make pizza and other "normal" foods to this area.

          They do use a brick oven, and their Damascus bread(cooked in said oven) is to DIE for.

          You wouldn't rate a Chinese food restaurant on the quality of macaroni and cheese they make. so don't judge a great eatery like Al-Amir by the standards of a food that they only have to make because people are too closed minded to try and enjoy their primary menu.

          Go back and try their Falafel and their Damascus hummus. you wont be disappointed.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

            If you advertise ...ON YOUR SIGN....that you make BRICK OVEN PIZZA then I don't think that it's too much to ask for you to actually be good at making brick oven pizza. If people's "finnicky" eating habits indicate that they don't like the food you specialize in then maybe you should start serving food that they do like...and serve it well and up to standards...or get out of the restaurant business all together. I suspect you have some involvement in this restaurant but I'm sure you won't admit it but I'd advise you of the latter since you obvioulsy don't have the business savvy of skin thick enough to deal with criticism.

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            • #7
              Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

              We like to run a friendly forum here. No flaming please.

              Thanks,
              Drake
              My Oven Thread:
              http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f8/d...-oven-633.html

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

                Originally posted by Maelstrom View Post
                That said, It is only due to the ignorance and finicky eating habits of patrons in this area that force them to make pizza and other "normal" foods to this area.
                .
                Not to start a battle, but it sounds like this place needs to do several things.

                1. Educate the palates of the patrons. People come to enjoy the atmostphere as well as the food. Well informed waitstaff, who treat their customers well, have a great influence on the patrons choices.
                2. Relocate. If it is so abborent to provide what your customers want, you are in the wrong location, trying to provide the product.
                3. Decide the bottom line of the place. If high quality food is the bottom line, then everything served should be top notch. If making a buck is the bottom line, then effeciency and mass production ( MacDonald is great at this, providing hot, cheap food). If you want to educate the palate and inform regarding the culture, provide only ethic foods and expect to make less money until your client base grows.

                This is a tough business. People's taste is very individual and non-rational. They get quite emotional about their food. This is one of the reasons why most food joints fail. I hope that you can convey a critique to the manager and improvements could be made. We need more good brick oven pizza places. In the end, all business failings are the result of management failures. Either through lack of vision or lack or adaptation to market conditions.

                Bruce
                Sharpei Diem.....Seize the wrinkle dog

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

                  Originally posted by brokencookie View Post
                  In the end, all business failings are the result of management failures. Either through lack of vision or lack or adaptation to market conditions.

                  Bruce
                  Well said. I've eaten there myself and the hummus was very good.
                  I did see a pizza and chose not to get one.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

                    You can always speak to the management and express your dissatisfaction. A couple of lessons from a person well versed in WFO pizza might fix the entire problem.

                    NC doesn't sound like a great place to start a Med./Middle Eastern cuisine restaraunt to me anyway. I live in Northern FL for 3 years. Catfish restaraunts and massive buffet restaraunts rule there. Not quite international cuisine type stuff!

                    Maelstrom, why is it unfortunate that you have to sign up for the forum to post? I don't remember any pain involved. I value your opinion. I'd eat the items you mentioned in a moment if I were there. I'd probably pick them over the pizza too. Falafel and hummus are two of my favorites. Don't get all PO'd because somebody disagrees with you. Opinions are like AHs! If you like the pizza there and people continue to order it (and they/(you're) making money on it) then what does this single post matter?

                    If you are indeed involved with this establishment, perhaps you should take this as a clue that you need to download the e-book on pizza making and read the forum on fire management. Your or your friend's/family's business may take off! Perhaps down the road, you'll have a whole chain of WFO restaraunts! Millions of dollars! Rule the world!
                    GJBingham
                    -----------------------------------
                    Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make mistakes when nobody is looking.

                    -

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

                      Originally posted by Maelstrom View Post
                      It is unfortunate that I actually had to sign up to reply to this message.

                      Al-Amir is actually a Mediterranean / Middle eastern restaurant. And a fantastic one at that. That said, It is only due to the ignorance and finicky eating habits of patrons in this area that force them to make pizza and other "normal" foods to this area.

                      They do use a brick oven, and their Damascus bread(cooked in said oven) is to DIE for.

                      You wouldn't rate a Chinese food restaurant on the quality of macaroni and cheese they make. so don't judge a great eatery like Al-Amir by the standards of a food that they only have to make because people are too closed minded to try and enjoy their primary menu.

                      Go back and try their Falafel and their Damascus hummus. you wont be disappointed.
                      Maelstrom...........flaming is a nasty business but I detect a more emotional attachment. Eating habits are a very personal thing and should not be described as either finicky nor ignorant. I for one certainly would judge a restaurants' quality by the food served regardless if it was in the ethnic boundaries of the core business or not. It makes sense to serve everything to the same high standard.

                      You must have an interest in WFO cooking or you would not be browsing the forum. The information on site can only serve to improve the pizza this restaurant produces and I, as well as many others, would enjoy reading about the food (and how to prepare it) that this establishment excels in. Pass all the above messages to the Al-Amir and I look forward to hearing from them.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Al-Amir in Irmo, SC

                        The only wood fired pizza worth talking about in the Columbia area is Pietanza off Polo Rd in the north east. Not perfect but real pizza.

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