Alaska.com: Alaska's Travel Website

Newcomers don't always get a lot of respect up here, and saying you come from a big city doesn't help much either. Even a greenhorn with only five years of northern living under her belt will scowl at you for making a cheechako mistake like signaling a lane change on Fifth Avenue or Benson Boulevard.

Let's just say Alaskans aren't real big on communicating their next big move.

But people generally know where they stand when it comes to their favorite watering hole. I called a bartender at Darwin's Theory (426 G St.) to find out what makes her place so popular with everyone from roughnecks to graduate students.

"Why, honey," said Barbara Jean, "haven't you been in here?"

Well, yeah, but not in a good long while. Last time I showed up at Darwin's, someone kept handing me red-hot shots during a baseball game. I had a good time just hanging out and bidding farewell to friends, but something about all those hot shots and smoke set me back a few years.

But now I see a reason to stop by again, especially after hearing from Tina Post, a writer and graduate student who lived in New York before coming to Anchorage a few years ago. She listed a slew of things that make Darwin's her favorite bar in Anchorage.

"The bartenders are witty, kind and responsible. And, they're women! The jukebox is good, of course. Darwin's has regulars, but it's never all regulars. But most of all, I love Darwin's because the clientele is mixed. It isn't a bar where everyone is youngish or everyone is oldish, or everyone is white, or everyone is (name an ethnic minority here). More than any other place I've found in Anchorage, Darwin's seems to be a genuinely successful melting-pot of a bar, where everyone is welcome and in good company."

Besides, any bar that holds a "Martha Stewart gets out of jail" party deserves undying loyalty from law-abiding and not so law-abiding citizens everywhere.

On a sunny day, however, nothing beats the spacious and sometimes surreal courtyard at Bernie's Bungalow Lounge (626 D St.), where several homey but artsy nooks and crannies keep the inside warm and cozy even when mother nature messes with the patio. A recent remodel offers a back room with a disco ball for dancing, sipping martinis, listening to literary readings or just getting to know someone.

Another stylish joint, SubZero (612 F St.), looks like a hallway with bubbling fish tank windows, twisted light fixtures and a curvaceous stainless steel bar. Little round tables fill the narrow room, along with art and all manner of creative zeal. The little bar that could offers cocktails and Belgian beer in a nonsmoking environment.

In the same building as SubZero, Humpy's Great Alaskan Alehouse (610 W. Sixth Ave.) serves a huge selection of beer, wine, whiskey and other drinks, including about 50 draft brews. This smoky bar promises live music every Wednesday through Saturday and a central meeting point downtown. Good-value meals make it a great lunch spot too.

Just down the street from Humpy's is Cafe Savannah (508 W. Sixth Ave.), a Spanish restaurant that serves good wine and small samplings of food. A versatile, classy place, Savannah does wonders whether you want a full meal or just a glass of wine with a dish of spiced pistachios.

The downtown area also has several brewpubs, but only the Snow Goose Restaurant/Sleeping Lady Brewery (717 W. Third Ave.) puts on concerts, plays and acoustic shows, either in its pub or in the attached theater space. The two upper decks with unparalleled views of Cook Inlet give it extra appeal on clear days. Go early; stay late.

Other downtown options include salsa, swing and other style dance lessons and dancing at Club Soraya (333 W. Fourth Ave.), upscale jazz at Sullivan's Steakhouse (320 W. Fifth Ave.), DJs and pool at The Shed (535 W. Third Ave.) and everything from drag shows to line dancing at Mad Myrna's (530 E. Fifth Ave.).

Some other downtown spots for drinks and music: The Woodshed Lounge (535 W. Third Ave.), The Alley Bar (900 W. Fifth Ave., Suite 102), Rumrunners (Fourth Avenue and E Street), the Gaslight Lounge (721 W. Fourth Ave.) and the Pioneer Bar (739 W. Fourth Ave.).

But not everybody flocks to town for alcohol and a smoke. Teenagers and young adults go to Bitoz Cafe and Pizzeria (513 W. Fourth Ave.) for the music and the scene. They sip energy drinks instead of Bud and feed on the energy of live music, not CDs.

Another all-ages place, Club Millennium (420 W. Third Ave.), spins hip-hop, techno, reggae and other tunes for patrons 18 years old and up. The no-smoking, no-drinking, late-night party goes until 3 a.m.

A person could stay downtown forever and never get bored, but everybody eventually escapes to Spenard, home of Tommy's Burger Stop and REI. There at the windmill is Chilkoot Charlie's (2435 Spenard Road), one of the most popular bars in town. Chilkoot's makes the news for a lot of reasons, but on a good night, the place gives everyone what they want -- plenty of dark corners and bright light in rooms that feature everything from wood chips and underwear to pool tables and Alexander the Great riding out of a faux brick wall.

Just down the street from Chilkoot's is the Bear Tooth Theaterpub & Grill (1230 W. 27th Ave.), a single-screen movie house and restaurant/bar that shows films and puts on live music to go with its popular lineup of locally made beer by the Moose's Tooth Brewery. Just a street over from the Bear Tooth, look for Organic Oasis (2610 Spenard Road), the antithesis to Chilkoot's and an outstanding place to find healthy food, organic beer and acoustic music.

Just a few blocks east of there on Northern Lights, Blues Central/The Chef's Inn (825 W. Northern Lights Blvd.) puts on some of the best, most boisterous shows in town. Expect to get sweaty or smoky or both.

And farther east, this time on Benson, is Cafe Amsterdam (530 E. Benson Blvd.) in the Metro Mall, a hamlet of welcoming businesses in Midtown. Cafe Amsterdam offers an enormous selection of Belgian beers and European fare in a friendly atmosphere.

But the question is, where does a bartender with 20 years of experience in the business go when she gets off work?

"I'm embarrassed to tell you," said Barbara Jean, the sourdough from Darwin's. "I go home, because, you know, I party for a living."

Dawnell Smith is a Daily News arts writer who lives in Anchorage.