I am not a regular.

I'm not the guy everyone recognizes when I walk in. No one yells, "Hey Matt," as I side up to the bar or sit at a table. I don't know anyone's name either, but I recognize faces. Occasionally, waitresses or bartenders recognize my face, too. But I'm not consistently at any one place enough to warrant special recognition.

The best I do anywhere is eat or drink at a place once a week. So there might be a time when I darken the door a couple of weeks in a row. But every two weeks is more my style and sometimes a month or more might go by between visits. There are many places to eat and drink in this town, and I like variety.

I can't remember when I first went to O'Niell's Pub in Albuquerque's Nob Hill. It's been five years or more. It might have been because some friends of mine were playing in a jazz combo there. It might have been to meet a friend for dinner. There was a specific reason the first time, but after that it was all about atmosphere.

O'Niell's has been in Nob Hill for ten years. Last Wednesday, however, was the end for that incarnation of O'Niell's. The owner had a ten year lease on the place, and he was unable to come to an agreement with the landlord on another lease. Rumor has it the landlord wants to open another bar in the same space. The owner of O'Niell's hasn't said much other than he's going to re-open up sometime in 2005 in another place--but it will be in Nob Hill.

O'Niell's was an Irish pub by name, but really it was a nice neighborhood bar that served good food and an honest drink. An honest drink, I think, is not watering down the beer or liquor. I can attest to getting my money's worth.

The space was clean, had good wait help and quick service. It was distinctive in design, but not overwhelming. Local art hung on the walls and rotated every month. I usually went between five and seven in the evening when there was a happy hour (four or five beers for $2.50 a pint--my one complaint was when they stopped serving Dos Equis). The crowd at that time of day is college kids and older people. I'd count myself as "older," since I've been out of college for ten years, but the demographic of 35-50 (older than me) was well represented. It wasn't a dive bar, but it wasn't fancy schmancy either.

When the Kerry/Edwards had its Albuquerque headquarters only a half block down from O'Niell's, many of them patronized the bar regularly.

And many of my friends were regulars there, too. The bartenders knew their name, knew how they liked their drinks and probably knew when it was time to cut them off.

We, as a community, got wind of O'Niell's demise early in the fall. There was a brief outcry--mostly directed at the landlord for pulling the lease--but after a few weeks and a couple tearful notes from columnists who were regulars, everything died down. We knew the end was coming.

It was in mid-November when my brother and I fully realized our times at O'Niell's was coming to an end. Because the rotation of bars and restaurants is wide, there were only a handful of O'Niell's nights left. We did consciously up our presence in the last month or so, but not overly. In the last week of food service (which stopped on Christmas Eve), we went with one of our regular friends and had an extra beer.

Then this friend, who plays in a marimba duo, set up a gig a few nights before the closing. Last Sunday was the last time I went in to the closest thing Nob Hill had to TV's Cheers. A few more friends showed up to toast the end. My brother and I had five beers each, and the last round came with the check (without asking!). A subtle hint it was time to go.

For the first half of 2005, I'll have to find another place to have a beer and sandwich or burger. Or tighten the rotation of eateries and drinkeries somehow.

O'Niell's marquee says, "We will be back."

In case they didn't know already, we'll be back when those friendly doors open again.

Matt Worley ate from at least 80 percent of the food menu at O'Niell's over his time of patronage.