When Church and State closed in April, H Street lost one of its most romantic, cozy cocktail bars. Opening today in its place—and from the same owner—is Idle Hands: a sort-of church-themed bar that promises “drunken Twister with strangers” and “confessions with twisted ‘priests'” on its site.
“It’s a sexy nerd bar,” says owner Erik Holzherr, who also owns Capitol Hill’s Wisdom and Atlas Arcade downstairs from Idle Hands. The new spot, which opens at 6 p.m. tonight with a grand opening party, offers board games (Chess, Candyland, and Cards Against Humanity among them) to rent for $4 per hour. Larger games (including the aforementioned “drunken Twister with strangers”—sober Twister is presumably also allowed) are $8. Games are free during happy hour (6-7:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri. and Saturday). Tabletop games—including the original “Miss Pac Man” tabletop game—are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
And then there’s the space formerly known as “the Casting Couch.” As first reported Wednesday by Frozen Tropics, the bar’s Facebook page hinted, “Feeling like a Boss? Reserve a spot for four on our V.I.P ‘Casting Couch.'”
Said space is a leather couch facing a flat-screen television, decked out with video games. The couch can be reserved for a group of four to play video games. “We were just having fun with it,” Holzherr says of the name, which he says one of the Idle Hands bartenders came up with. It’s a reference, he says, to the porn site of the same name. When reminded by this reporter of the other connotations that phrase has, like say, Harvey Weinstein, Holzherr responded: “Maybe we’ll change that.”
It appears they already have: As of Thursday, the site now calls the area a “gaming couch.”
Meanwhile, the bar also has surprises in store for one of the most-loved parts of Church and State: the confessional. The teeny room can be reserved for ten or so guests—when it’s not occupied, it’s open on a first-come, first-served basis. There’s even a tiny window with access to the bar, so you can order cocktails without leaving your seat.
Holzherr plans to host events in there, including sessions with the aforementioned “twisted ‘priest.'” Describe your sins and receive “fake penances,” Holzherr says. He’s planning to offer the role to a few comedians.
Cocktails ($9-11) are organized on the menu by flavor profile: The Shawshank (made with vodka, housemade pickle brine, and lime, with cracked pepper on top) is listed as “Savory”; the Usual Suspects (a orange syrup-laced negroni) is labeled “Bitter.” The menu includes 14 beers and six wines by the glass or bottle. Other items on the menu include temporary tattoos for a dollar each or pages from an “adult coloring book” to complete while you’re at the bar (“Makes a great gift!” the menu promises.)
Though the stained glass windows of Church and State remain, the decor has been updated with neon lights as part of a 1980s-1990s theme. Cheeky murals from local artists Rachel Wallach and Mike O’Brien adorn the walls—in one, the Virgin Mary cradles a video game controller; in another the devil revs a motorcycle.
Holzherr says he wanted Idle Hands—which he describes as “more accessible” than Church and State—to help alleviate crowds that tend to accumulate at Atlas Arcade on weekends.
“I’m hoping it’ll appeal to a slightly older crowd than downstairs,” he says. “Sometimes I feel like I’m a little too old for Atlas.”
Lori McCue