Edmonton AM's guide to the city's hidden gems

Everyone has a special restaurant, a favourite store, an out-of-the-way park, that is a little off the beaten track. On Friday, Edmonton AM devoted a whole show to revealing these hidden gems!

Here's a list and relevant links when possible. (some of the restaurants are so off the beaten track, they don't have their own website!)

Edmonton AM crew picks

- Farrow Sandwich and Coffee - 8422 109th Street (Ethan Sawyer)

- Revolver Records, Bonnie Boon Shopping Centre (Ariel Fournier)

- Lan's Asian Grill - 11826 - 103rd Street (Wallis Snowden)

- Abyssinia Ethiopian restaurant - 10810 95th Street (Kim Nakrieko)

- The Drake Hotel - 3945 118th Street (Ashley Geddes)

Architectural gems with Dan Rose from Heritage Forward

- Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium in Coronation Park

- Hotel Grand/Hagmann Block - 10765 98th Street

- Keillor Cabin - 12504 Fox Drive

- McCray's Garage - 102nd Avenue & 125th Street

Hidden gem bands from Craig Martell, co-owner Wunderbar and Trevor Belsher, owner, Mercury Room

- Counterfeit Jeans

- Feverfew

- Post Script

- The Dabs

Hole-in-the-wall restaurants from Gastropost community manager Brittney Leblanc

- Tao Garden - 9642 107th Avenue

- Urban Shabu - 9700 105th Avenue

- Bulgogi House - 8813 92nd Street

- Shanghai 456 - 14456 118th Avenue

- Handy Bakery - 8660 118th Avenue

- Paradiso Tropical - 9136 118th Avenue

Hidden trails from personal trainer Chris Tse

- Strathcona Science Park to Gold Bar Park (Haunted Forest Trail)

- Hawrelak Park to Quesnell Bridge

- Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area

Secret swimming hole from Paul Bunner, river swimming enthusiast

- located between the Cloverdale footbridge and the Edmonton Queen Riverboat launch

Secret foods to forage - Elisabeth Beaubien, biologist, University of Alberta, Alberta Plant Watch coordinator

- Chokecherry

- Saskatoon berry

- Raspberry

- Creeping thistle - remove the leaves, make a soup

- Cattail - Use clean, unpolluted plant. Can consume bottom part of stalk

Secret coffee spots from Cindy Ngyuen, blogger, Let's Om Nom

Best Roasters

- Transcend - various locations in Edmonton

- Rogue Wave Coffee Co.: 10571A 114th Street

- Ace Roasters

- Iconoclast Coffee - 11807 105 Ave.

Best Cafe

- Barking Buffalo - 10842 124th Street

- Farrow Sandwiches and Coffee - 8422 109th Street

- Lock Stock Coffee - 10534 Jasper Ave

Best secret but coming soon Cafe Spots

- Bru Coffee and Beer - 119th Street & Jasper Avenue

- De Capo (second location coming downtown)

- Woodrack Cafe - 7603 109th Street

Best beer spots - Shane Groendahl founder and president of Beer Geeks Anonymous

- Cha Island - 10332 81st Avenue

- Accent Lounge - 8223 104th Street

Well known beer spots:

- Craft Beer Market - 10013 101A Avenue

- Underground Tap & Grill - 10004 Jasper Avenue

- Beer Revolution - 11736 104th Avenue

Experiences/events from Renee Williams, communications manager for Edmonton Tourism

- Elk Island - easy camping

- Elk Island - July 31/August 1 - Blue Moon Canoe Tour

- Dark Matters - August 20 - Telus World of Science - adult event

Other noteworthy events and tourist spots:

- Heritage Days

- Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm

- Jurassic Forest

- Fort Edmonton Park

- Lactuca - the urban farm location at Northlands

Best kids spots from Jennifer Schaffer, editor of City and Baby

- Alberta Railway Museum

- Real Family Cinema at the Garneau Theatre

- Giovanni Caboto Park

Best date spots from Blue Knox, outgoing editor editor in chief of Wanderer Online magazine

- Nerd Nite Edmonton

- Space Cadet Adventure

- Manhunt Edmonton

Blogs and podcasts from Karen Unland, creator of Seen and Heard podcast and blog

- Reading in Bed - blog about books

- #Lost YEG - blog about Edmonton's history

- What It Is - podcast about Edmonton's theatre and arts scene

- JayRunham.com - blog about 'sexy film news'