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)

Architecturalgems withDan Rose from Heritage Forward

• Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium inCoronation Park
• Hotel Grand/Hagmann Block - 10765 98th Street
• Keillor Cabin - 12504 Fox Drive
• McCray's Garage - 102nd Avenue & 125th Street

Hidden gem bands fromCraig Martell, co-ownerWunderbarand Trevor Belsher, owner,Mercury Room

• Counterfeit Jeans
• Feverfew
• Post Script
• The Dabs

Hole-in-the-wall restaurants from Gastropostcommunity managerBrittney 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 trainerChris 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 fromPaul Bunner, river swimming enthusiast

• located between the Cloverdale footbridge and the Edmonton QueenRiverboat 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 fromCindy 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
• FarrowSandwiches and Coffee- 8422 109th Street
• Lock StockCoffee - 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 beerspots -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 104thAvenue

Experiences/events fromRenee Williams, communications managerfor 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 andtourist spots:

• Heritage Days
• Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm
• Jurassic Forest
• Fort Edmonton Park
• Lactuca - theurban farm location at Northlands

Best kids spots fromJennifer Schaffer, editor ofCity and Baby

• Alberta Railway Museum
• Real Family Cinema at the Garneau Theatre
• Giovanni Caboto Park

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

• Nerd Nite Edmonton
• Space Cadet Adventure
• Manhunt Edmonton

Blogs and podcastsfromKaren Unland, creator of Seen and Heardpodcast 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'