A long time in the contemplative stage, the Golden Forest Room at Michael’s officially opened for business last week. It’s been a project close to the heart of Michael Crakes, owner of I the restaurant and cocktail lounge at 600 Lilac Dr. N., in Golden Valley. Mr. Crakes, or as the genial proprietor called “Mike”, designed the motif of (the room around a theme he felt would fit into the community caprice of Golden Valley. The stage is set just off the entrance way in, a niche that catches the air of a forest glen. Depicted in the golden statues of two deer is the scene of a strong and powerful buck standing guard while a doe drinks protected from a brook.
This was the idea presented to Robbinsdale Sculptor Bob Johnson. He worked the theme out in gilded fiber glass for the figures of the deer and plastic brook that will always remain tranquil. The Golden Forest room itself is done in gold and walnut. More frescoes by Johnson in the same motif as the deer outside are located around the the scene of two deer running through the forest and a nude bowman to portray the huntress Diana. The tables are dark mahogany with curved-back chairs finished in gold cushioning for the comfort of patrons. The back bar is located in the center of a horseshoe which forms the focal point for a separation between the Golden Forest room and the Caribbean Room done in a marine motif of aqua and light walnut. At the end of this back bar, a gold tree sweeps into a triangular sunlight. This tree and two others both finished by Mr. Johnson are wrought in fiber glass tinted in gold and a tarnish of green. They are life-like to the details of bark and late autumn leaves.
–Newspaper Clipping from a shoe box under the bed, undated.