The Prohibition-era ambiance of speakeasy drinking arrives Tuesday night at Eastern Market with one modern twist: To score one of the 26 seats available at Harold Black, the cozy bar opening above Acqua Al 2, you must text a request for reservations to an exclusive phone number. Hiding on the second floor at 214 7th St. SE, the bar is the latest project by fine-dining team Ari Gejdenson and Johnny Spero. With no website or social media presence, local food bloggers report exclusive invites have arrived via small white cards marked “h b” with a phone number on the back. Local blog Girl Meets Food appears to have reported the news of the opening first. Eater DC has also been following the opening closely. The menu features nine $14 “Elixirs” in addition to beer, wine, spirits and “vittles.” Capitol Hill patrons might be keen on sipping the “the Deal-Breaker,” a combination of stout beer, cask-aged rum and vanilla, in Harold Black’s secretive, backroom setting. Would it be bad luck to order one of those during the fiscal cliff negotiations?
