Last call.

Looks like that round of shots Billmon set out last week signaled closing time. There's nothing left but an error message this time, so it looks like he just might mean it.

Last time around I kept him in my blogroll because I was pretty sure (or pretty hopeful, at least) that he'd be back. I'm not going to take him out now, although I have considerably less hope. He belongs there, though, because one of the most satisfying bits of recognition this joint ever got was a spot on the Whiskey Bar menu.

It's not hard to find people around the blogosphere crediting him as the best writer among us. They're right. More than that, he had an eye for topics and angles others often missed, and scooped up choice bit from the bottom of the memory hole by the bucketful.

A grand sweeping bow in gratitude for the strong drinks and tasty snacks that could always be found tucked between the words. We are all diminished just a bit.