Colrain’s Green Emporium Warms Up with Zydeco

I was at the hardware store and asked my favorite clerk, Mike, what he was doing this weekend. It was the classic Friday question. “I am playing zydeco music up in Colrain,” he said.  It didn’t take long for me to realize that this was a very good time to make another visit to the Green Emporium right near the Vermont border.

As we entered this former church, we peeled back the curtains, which blocked the drafts, opened the door and entered the cool scene.  The place was filled with all sorts of valley folks, like a hidden treasure in the middle of the boonies.

The Subarus and pickups lined the streets and the place was filled with families, fifty-something couples like us and a birthday party for a lucky 30 year old gal.

Immediately, I saw the two proprietors of this quirky establishment–Pacifico and Tony.  These two guys, one with his white hair and square glasses and the other with his beret; work the crowd and are everywhere…one serving their signature pizza  and the other sipping wine and sitting with patrons, and both enjoying dancing to the lively music of Zydeco Connection.

We spied two seats at the bar. There are few things more satisfying than finding seats with a great view of the music in a lively bar while live music is being played.  We could see the guys making the pizzas at the open kitchen and looked up at the walls and balcony filled with neon art.

We had found the perfect Saturday night right in the valley.  Surrounded by other folks that choose to live here, rockin’ to a great band, and enjoying our Berkshire Brews with plate of delicious mussels and pasta.  None of us cared that it was six degrees outside.