Wild Earth is the cafe I wish I had in my neighbourhood. It’s in Mill Creek, so I don’t get over there very often, but when I do I remember how much I love it.
Back in the fall I wrote a post about great cafes in Toronto, and bemoaned the lack of such good ones here in Edmonton. After writing that I thought about it some more, and I spent some more time at Transcend Cafe in Garneau, about a 15 minute walk from our apartment. I realized Transcend was actually the kind of cafe I was looking for – a comfortable vibe and delicious coffee. It does get busy, so it’s best to go during the week if you want a place to sit. The one thing they are lacking is a nice choice of GF sweets. I enjoy their gluten-free pao de quiejo, tapioca starch cheese buns, but they’re a unique treat that I’m not always in the mood for.
Wild Earth has the whole package. Great atmosphere, delicious coffee, and a wide array of GF and non-GF sweets and main dishes. It is also a bakery that sells a variety of breads and sweets to take home (one of them is a GF cookie mix). We walked over there last week with our friend Irene, when the weather was nice. It’s not a short walk, about 45 minutes, so the trip felt like a special event. As I sat and savoured my latte and cookie, I realized that if Wild Earth was in my neighbourhood I would be there very often.
Let me tell you about that cookie. It was labelled a “monster” cookie, though I’m not exactly sure what that means. It was on the large side, about 5 inches wide, with the deep taste of brown sugar, and peppered with chocolate chips, nuts, and oats. It was baked perfectly, so it was crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Perfect for coffee-dipping. That’s my kind of cookie.
It was a delightful afternoon. We chatted and played with Lucie (who seems quite close to crawling). We lingered over our drinks. I love getting out of the neighbourhood and into different parts of the city, especially when it involves a beautiful walk along the river valley, and great cafes like this one.
What are your favourite Edmonton cafes?
P.S. Just looked at the website and realized Wild Earth has a newish location in the Epcor Tower downtown! I will have to check that out soon.
Wild Earth Cafe
8902 99 st.
(also locations in Laurier Heights and Downtown)
Edmonton, AB
