Gordon Ramsay 'saved' this NJ restaurant on Kitchen Nightmares — but is it good now?

Rotten vegetables, expired chicken and one-hour wait-times for food — Dumont restaurant Da Mimmo was a hot Italian mess when Gordon Ramsay visited it earlier this year on Kitchen Nightmares. Opened by retired Hoboken police officer Melissa Gigante and her TikTok famous sons, the spot boasted graffitied walls, cheap ingredients and a $500,000 debt bill.

It's one saving grace? Gigante's oldest son, 22 year-old Antonio, who — doubling as the pizza maker and manager — relentlessly worked to keep the struggling business afloat. The younger two, Vincent and Vito, did (in their own words) "absolutely nothing" for the restaurant.

Well, that is, until Ramsay popped up and bulldozed the young influencers' egos to the ground. Or, so it seemed on TV.

Dumont restaurant gets makeover on FOX's 'Kitchen Nightmares'

The fourth episode of the new season of Kitchen Nightmares featured Da Mimmo being redesigned, reconfigured and, ultimately, reborn. The tacky paint job was covered with a mosaic of classy wooden cutting boards, and cheap ingredients were replaced with higher quality produce. Vincent and Vito received some of Ramsay's characteristic tough love, as well.

By the time local Bergen County residents were welcomed back into the restaurant, it was — theoretically — saved (with a new menu and everything).

But, here's the thing; is Da Mimmo actually good now? Or was that dramatic transformation just a spectacle for FOX's bottom line?

Last weekend, we stopped into the spot to find out for ourselves.

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Visiting the 'new' Da Mimmo

When we entered Da Mimmo, the first thing we noticed was the wall of cutting boards at the back of the space. According to Antonio Gigante, who welcomed us, the show footed the bill for the makeover, so the restaurant got to keep all of the decor upgrades.

Interior fixed, the spot was off to a good start.

We sat down to order, noting a spacious window with a view into the kitchen. The team added that — we assume — to build a sense of transparency and trust with their customers (smart choice, considering the "dead" mussels and "gooey" raw chicken that used to occur behind closed doors).

With an eye on the chefs — we did not see Francesca from the episode, though were assured she did work there — we waited for our food. Pleasantly surprised, the first course arrived in fewer than 10 minutes. The next two followed promptly, addressing Ramsay's concern about the team's pace of service.

Here's what we thought of the dishes.

The food at Da Mimmo in Dumont after 'Kitchen Nightmares'

The first course we tried was the arancini; a deep-fried Italian rice ball featured on the show as one of the "new menu" items. Since Gordon visited, Gigante said, the recipe had been changed slightly, favoring a more saffron-heavy, authentic preparation. Crispy on the outside, cheesy on the inside (and not oily, dense or heavy at all), we loved this starter. The tomato sauce it served over was super flavorful, too, demonstrating that the team had started purchasing higher quality tomatoes than what was used before. No complaints; this was solid.

Up next were two pasta dishes; the Cacio e Pepe Bucatini, and Farfalle Bolognese. Neither were anything to write home about.

The Cacio e Pepe (translates to "cheese and pepper") was our least favorite dish of the night, as we found it hard to taste the cheese in the dish at all. We got two flavors from the course; the pepper and the noodles. Without a strong cheese presence, the bucatini was also notably dry, and got cold quickly. But, then again, the dish was only $14. So, it was pretty much like something you'd get from a diner.

The Farfalle had sauce, at least, but it tasted like a basic ragu you'd make at home. So, again, a skip.

On Kitchen Nightmares, Antonio Gigante was described as Da Mimmo's resident pizzaioli with a passion for kneading, tossing and topping brick oven pies. We were certainly pulling for him, then, when it came time to try the spot's pizza.

And, boy, did the kid deliver.

The pizza at Da Mimmo in Dumont after 'Kitchen Nightmares'

With two artisan pies, a classic Margherita and an eggplant and ricotta salata-topped Alla Norma, Gigante not only proved, but emphasized, that he truly is the backbone of the restaurant.

The Margherita was perfectly balanced, with a savory tomato sauce and whole sweet basil leaves. Its light, airy crust soared under soft Fior de Latte mozzarella, and we loved the imported olive oil drizzle on top. The Alla Norma was equally good, because — despite its extra toppings — we could still taste the delicious crust. Each pie sang with notes of a European sourdough bread loaf, but was incredibly thin in the center and spongy around the edges.

Sure, on the show Gigante was sent to "learn from Dan (Richer)" at acclaimed pizzeria Razza, but we've had both restaurant's pies. These were Antonio-style, which, as much as we love Razza, were different. In twenty years, we wouldn't be surprised if the young chef reached Richter's success; supported by a similar passion, but a new, distinct product.

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The takeaway at Da Mimmo in Dumont after 'Kitchen Nightmares'

So, did Gordon Ramsay really work magic on Da Mimmo?

Eh, maybe. The restaurant is certainly not a nightmare; we didn't wait an hour for our food, the walls didn't look like a Toys 'R Us and nothing was expired. So, yeah, we guess.

But, if Da Mimmo wants to be a good restaurant — rather than simply a better one — they should ditch the kitchen altogether, rebrand as a brick-oven pizza spot and just let Antonio do his thing.

Because, when the hype over Ramsay's 24-hour appearance in Dumont subsides? That kid's pies are going to be the real money makers.

Da Mimmo is located at 132 Veterans Plaza in Dumont. To learn more about the restaurant, visit damimmonj.com.

Kara VanDooijeweert is a food writer for NorthJersey.com and The Record. If you can't find her in Jersey's best restaurants, she's probably off running a race course in the mountains. Catch her on Instagram: @karanicolev & @northjerseyeats, and sign up for her North Jersey Eats newsletter.