LOSING ITS GUSTO. As GUSTO owner expands to the culinary inconsequential CENTRO, that once tony and tasty West Village Italian has gone flat. Fritto Misto was a soggy off color throw together, the mozzarella of the tomato salad past its use date and the chicken was absolutely desert dry. GUSTO was one of my favorites - priced slightly above a local but plate-wise enough to be a destination.

MAPPETITE NEW YORK: INTO THE BROWN ZONE. The stretch of Ninth Avenue between 34th and 42nd Streets west to the river is a grungy no mans land with little to no allure aptly marked the "BROWN ZONE" on transit bus maps. No landmarks. No sweet prewar apartments. No up market retail. This "hot" new neighborhood has far to go. If you're hungry there's not much to work with. Mitchel London Pizza (456 9th Avenue) is a safety palate play with tasty thin crusted, bottom charred pies.

MAPPETITE LONDON: DAT HUMMINGBIRD SURE DON'T SING. Hummingbirds, native only to the Americas and so named for the noise ensuing from their rapid wing motion, is the misplaced nom de guerre for a nostalgia bakes business here in the U.K. Sure the cupcakes look pretty in their colorful sprinkled kindergarten art class style but, HUMMING BIRD BAKERY takes you for a birdbath in the worst possible way. Each time we went back we got chalk dry flavorless mounds with greasy icing. Decoration does not a cupcake make. Can the British, who have some great bakes, seriously keep this alive? Save the pound fifty (3 bucks U.S.) and get yourself Betty Crocker.

MAPPETITE NEW YORK: An emotionally unavailable hamburger? A burger that tries really hard but beef that just can't come to bat? Like trying to make the wrong relationship right, we've been back to BLT BURGER again and again looking for something to love. Each time we've left saddened and disappointed. Slow service, over-seasoned patties, chicken wings too spicy to fly, soggy fries, a tuna fillet overcome by its bun and lamb, tasty but sandwiched between wet bread. We had to let go.