This bar and music venue adds a bit of New Orleans flair to H Street's collection of dives and theme bars. The owner, who has lived in New Orleans, named the joint after the 1830 Stendhal novel, a satire of 19th century Parisian social order. As a bar, The Red and the Black is equal opportunity; live music plays nearly every night upstairs for less than $10, while the cozy downstairs space is equipped with booths, bar stools and a digital juke box. Food such as sandwiches, chips, and even vegan options are catered by The Argonaut and kept warm behind the bar, which is decorated to the inch with framed photographs of New Orleans scenes and people.