Today we're opening up voting in our latest Best Of poll. Now you can have your say in 25 categories including dim sum, shawarma, furniture stores, bridal stores, dance classes and more.

Take the best of poll here

Voting in the poll ends at 11:45pm this Tuesday February 3rd.

Canadian design firm Umbra just turned 35, but their John St. store looks better than ever. The shop got a major overhaul, trading in the cluttered sales floor for a showroom-like layout and gallery space that let their clever home designs from the past and present shine.

Read my profile of Umbra in the design section.

Photo by Michael Sakalauskas in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Poutine Week, the Great Digital Film Festival, and FeBREWary all continue, while the The St. Royals warm up the Drake with motown, funk, and soul. At the Beaver, Toronto's non pop culture central trivia-heads can show off their knowledge of animals, plants, natural science, archaeology, and conservation. Ani Difranco is in town, so for nostalgia's sake, check out this blogTO review of her show ten years ago, in 2005. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Food: La Poutine Week
• Music: Ani Difranco (Danforth Music Hall)
• Lit: 9to5 Narrative Storytelling Show (Charlotte Room)
• Games: National Geographic Trivia (The Beaver)
• Music: The St. Royals (The Drake Hotel)
• Music: Empire! Empire! (The Cave)
• Drink: FeBREWary
• Film: The Great Digital Film Festival (Jan 30 - Feb 5, Cineplex Theatres)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo: The St. Royals

This Irish pub has been around since 1992, changing owners and varying in quality throughout the years. Its new keepers have spruced the place up and given the menu a much-needed makeover, with chef Mike Tan (of the recently-closed Huntsman Tavern) cooking up the bar snacks of your dreams, like fried pork belly bites and a massive burger.

Read my profile of Whelan's Gate in the restaurants section.

La Poutine Week in Toronto is on now until February 7, and while we'll happily celebrate the Québécois comfort food in classic form, we're increasingly intrigued by hybrid variations found here in Toronto.

Take the Jerk Shawarma Poutine ($6.95) at Chris Jerk in Scarborough for example; here the iconic combination of golden fresh-cut fries, cheese curds, and gravy doesn't veer too far from tradition, but it's still infused with Jamaican flavours and Mediterranean cooking techniques.

While shredded cheese will undoubltly have purists up in arms, it's the house gravy ladled over top that's the real standout. Made from scratch, this rich reduction starts with chicken bones, boiled down from a stock until it's deeply flavoured then thickened and spiced with a house blend of Jerk.

Shaved bits of Jerk chicken shawarma crown the dish, and while that might sound like a recipe for fusion-food overload - it's actually a glorious addition. The thoroughly marinated poultry is skewered and slowly rotisserie-cooked, shawarma-style on a vertical spit until it's succulent with a crispy exterior.

Thanks to IBM for sponsoring this post. IBM Watson's cognitive system helps chefs create new recipes and helps businesses cook up new ideas.

Know of any Toronto restaurants doing interesting takes on poutine? Let us know in the comments.

Concerts in Toronto this February range from folk festivals to deafening goth rock to art gallery hip hop shows, with a new Long Winter street fair, the annual Wavelength Fest, rap battles, and experimental sessions in between.

Fleetwood Mac is back again (I've started picturing Fleetwood Mac shows as regular singles meet ups for lonesome baby boomers, is that inaccurate?), Ani's here in a few days, then Speedy Ortiz plays Feb 12 at The Garrison with HSY and Wish, Father John Misty is at the Danforth Feb 18, and David Bazan plays a living room Feb 23.

There's also this, taking peek indieTM Toronto and stretching it out over the lake until the snap of the rubber breaking permanently deafens us all.

February is supposed to be a month of romance, so our top Toronto music Craigslist Missed Connection of the month is this Backstreet Boy fan/co-worker of a Backstreet Boy Fan. Do you want it that way? They still think about you, just like you still think about Nick. There are no missed connections from the Guvernment's last parties, which makes me smile - you all lived your hookup dreams to their end.

Here are my picks for February's can't-miss concerts in Toronto.

Marilyn Manson (February 2, Sound Academy)
The beautiful people are in the eye of the beholder. This might be one of the very last unbearable Sound Academy shows!

First Thursday w/ Grandmaster Flash (February 5, AGO)
On February 7 the AGO opens their posthumous retrospective of NYC graffiti/fine art artist Basquiat. On February 5, Grandmaster Flash will DJ as part of the Basquiat-tied First Thursday event. (Best of luck snagging tickets).

Black History Month Concert Series (February 7, Gladstone)
As part of Black History Month, the Gladstone will host free concerts each Saturday night at 9pm. This week features Young Stars de Montreal (Congo).

Exquisite Beat Theatre (February 8, Huntclub)
If you've yet to see sci-fi influenced electronic artist Slowpitch work his turntable wizardry, this show with Pursuit Grooves and LIBYDO at the Wavelength pop up gallery is the perfect opportunity.

Blackout5 (February 7-8, Queen Elizabeth Theatre)
Battle rap has taken the world by storm. Leagues have popped up all over the world, but arguably the biggest one of all is Toronto's own King of the Dot (KOTD). On February 7-8 they'll be hosting their biggest event to date: Blackout 5. Check out the line up here, though who knows who the special guests will be. M

Long Winter Fair (February 13)
Long Winter Fair, part of Toronto's monthly music, performance and art festival, is taking over the street, expanding outside of The Great Hall along Queen St. West to the Theatre Centre and 99 Sudbury. See the neighbourhood come alive with a street market complete with local crafts and warm treats. Check out our preview here. SSZ

Wavelength 15 (February 13-15)
For the first time ever the local-focused indie music fest will stretch across multiple venues as it celebrates its 15th year with a theme of Past, Present and Future. The intriguing Huntclub pop-up programming is actually on already, while the fest proper runs over Valentine's Day weekend. Learn more about the Broken Social Scene covers sets (lol) and Controller Controller reunions and stuff here or wait for our preview.

Winterfolk Music Festival (February 13-15, The Danforth)
Winterfolk's 13th will give Toronto's down home music fans the chance to see 150 urban, blues, rock, jazz, country, folk and roots music artists performing on multiple stages in the Danforth and Broadview area. Get a peek of the performers on their website or wait for our full preview.

Century Palm (February 14, The Cavern)
The vibe at this PWYC show will likely be as romantic as a bunch of people who once loved Weezer and then experienced the true heartbreak and disillusionment only a Weezer fan can know and then moved on with their life thanks to loud guitars can be.

Ariel Pink (February 19, Phoenix)
When he takes a break from saying gross thingsabout women, Ariel Pink can actually be a talented songwriter and fascinating performer. He's just released newest effort Pom Pom to yet more critical praise, and though it's his first in a while without the "Haunted Graffiti" moniker, the regular backing band still accompanies him on tour. SK

Swans (February 20, Phoenix)
Three decades on, no wave legends Swans are still a force to be reckoned with live. Michael Gira and co. put building codes to the test with their increasingly visceral, earth-shaking music. Sonically experimental and epically loud, it'll be quite a 180 from Ariel Pink's set the day before at the Phoenix. SK

Somewhere There Creative Music Festival (February 20-22, Tranzac)
While Somewhere There have regularly booked gigs around the city since losing their home, weekend-long Somewhere There Creative Music Festival is a chance for weirdo musicians from varying scenes to come together. For the festival's third year, over 60 performers and speakers include Marie LeBlanc-Flanagan (Weird Canada) and groups as diverse as Friendly Rich and the JunctQín Keyboard Collective.

Kaki King (February 26, Geary Lane)
Whether you're a fan of psychfolk, electronic, or drone, don't miss the magic of Kaki King's guitar-based The Neck Is A Bridge To The Body project in the cavernous yet somehow intimate warehouse space on Geary (at the dead end). Loom is also on the bill.

See also

The top 5 dance parties in Toronto February 2015
Just Shows

What did I miss? Leave details about your vastly superior music events in the comments.

Contributions by Shazia Khan, Markit, Sima Sahar Zerehi

If there's a rule of thumb when it comes to apps, it would probably be simpler is better. True to this adage is Toronto-based app Marco Polo, which is designed to help iPhone users locate their phone when it's mysteriously gone missing in one's general vicinity. This won't help if you left your phone at the bar, but it's perfect when it's become wedged in the couch and you're pulling your hair out trying to find it before leaving the house.

When you can't find you're phone, you merely call out "Marco" and the phone returns the call with "Polo." Nifty. Thankfully, you can also customize the call and response if you're not into this combination. That's it. That's what it does. Since being released, it's become the most downloaded paid utility app in over 80 countries. It'll cost you $1.19 for the service.

There are a few downsides worth noting. As wonderfully simple as the app is to use, you'll have to keep it running in the the background for it to work when you need it. That means that it shows a red line across the top of your screen pretty much at all times.

Depending on your degree of anal retentiveness, this will or won't be an issue. My phone also tends to randomly bark "Polo" at me when I haven't said "Marco," but I suppose a little bit of this is to be expected, and if you're prone to lose your phone might not be much of an issue.

Tucked away on a residential street in Toronto's west end, there's a secret cocoa bean lab. It doesn't advertise its whereabouts, though there is a particular SOMA chocolate bar pressed with a Toronto map that points towards this secret "third" location.

Following up on the promise of a secret chocolate factory depicted on what is literally an edible treasure map, I'm half anticipating a Willy Wonka-esque wonderland. This is of course not the reality; the cramped studio is indeed a fascinating, delightful-smelling place, but it doesn't sell anything, there are no public tours and it's not nearly as fanciful as the boutiques in the Distillery District and on King West.

Owners Cynthia Leung and David Castellan acquired the 1,800 square foot space in 2009 thinking it would be used for temporary storage. They've since utilized every inch of space to import cocoa beans, roast and process them into chocolate liquor; the pure cocoa mass that will eventually be spun into truffles, bars, baked goods, gelato and various other confections made in the shops.

The process begins with deliveries of fermented cocoa beans brought in by the 60 kilo jute bag from Trinidad, Ecuador, Venezuela, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Madagascar. The contents are arduously sorted by hand to ensure quality, discard stones, desecrated beans and any stray sticks or debris.

Brand new mechanical bean cleaners have been purchased but sit unused. For now, the staff still do the job by hand staff - taking a full day to get through each bag.

Small batches and samples are roasted in a 1940s Barth Ludwigsburg bought off Hershey's (lead photo). The design of the vintage German machine hadn't changed in over 100 years, inside is a big steel ball heated by a gas burner, it gently rotates and roasts beans with a stream of hot air.

From here, the cooled beans are poured into a winnower that cracks beans between rollers, then vibrates and sorts nibs by coarseness. The waste product from this process is a husk, a flavourful byproduct that's not useful for chocolate making but is coveted by tea makers, beer brewers and mixologists.

In another, laboratory-like room in the back, nibs are ground into a paste, then refined further in a melanger from 150 microns to below 20 microns. The goal is to crush every particle until it's no longer distinguishable and release flavour molecules, sometimes very distinct or unusual flavour molecules ranging from fruity and nutty to sour and bitter.

Finally paddled in a conch, the smooth, velvety chocolate liquor is the glorious end product here. It's pure liquid cocoa, and its cooled to a solid state and stored in blocks destined for a SOMA boutique where it will ultimately become something as beautiful as it is delicious.

The studio has recently acquired an extra 1,000 square feet in the same building - there's no set plan yet, but the potential is there for a chocolate bar moulding room, a tasting room, and maybe, just maybe a little retail outlet. Fingers crossed.

Photos by Jesse Milns

Beer lovers gathered at Roundhouse Park this past Saturday for the annual Winter Craft Beer Festival, and while temperatures dipped below zero, spirits and glasses were raised high with an outstanding selection of local craft brews on offer. With various fire pits, lots of food and booze, and generally high spirits, it almost seemed like it wasn't absolutely frigid outside.

Check out all the action from the frosty beer fest in this photo gallery.

A substantial blizzard and ice cold winds are causing challenging conditions across the GTA this morning. Toronto is under an Environment Canada winter storm warning and a city Extreme Cold Weather Alert. The temperature is hovering around -14, -23 with the wind chill.

Right now, Toronto Hydro is not reporting any major power outages. On the TTC, the 502 Downtowner and 503 Kingston Road streetcars have been replaced by buses and there may be longer than normal travel times on lines 1 and 2. The 95E York Mills, 190 Scarborough, 199 Finch, 53E Steeles East express buses are making local stops due to the snow.

The GO Transit website is down, but its Twitter account is reporting delays of around 20-45 minutes on its rail lines and numerous delays across its buses.

The snow is expected to taper off around midday, but blowing snow is expected to cause issues for much of the day. Environment Canada is warning against all non-essential travel. Highways and roads may become difficult to navigate due to blowing snow and visibility may be close to zero at times.

Residents are encouraged to check on vulnerable people who may experience difficulties related to the extreme cold and snow.

Here's a look at what the weather looks like across the city.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Chris Bateman/blogTO

The Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards - better known as the CAFAs - returned for a second year on Saturday. The event brought Canada's best dressed under one roof, including models, designers, stylists, and more than a few famous faces, to honour the country's top fashion talent. Local favourites like Sid Neigum and Beaufille took home trophies, but with most of the attendees wearing Canadian designers, there were plenty of winners on the red carpet.

Check out all the looks from the event in our Style section.

There are several food banks operating within Toronto, but when vegetarians come looking for food they can eat, they often just find rice, beans, and tomato soup. That's why Matt Noble decided to create the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank, which operates on a pop-up basis, appearing the last Saturday of each month near Gerrard and Parliament.

The food bank, a joint project with the Yonge St. Mission, caters specifically to vegetarians and vegans, Noble told the Toronto Star. Alongside staples like lentils, whole wheat pasta and tomato sauce, they also offer fresh vegetables and fruits.

The food bank is currently funded by cash donations and fundraising events - so far, they've raised $7,500, which Noble estimates will keep the project going for seven or eight months. To learn how to donate or apply to receive food, visit their website.

Photo via the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank on Facebook.

Another food truck is going brick-and-mortar in Toronto (bad news for people who like their gourmet hot dogs to come to them). Let's Be Frank has announced they're selling their mobile hot-doggery as they make the transition to a permanent space at 460 Spadina Ave. (near College).

The owners are hoping to use the dough from the ale to fund an overhaul of their patio, as well as covering some costs through the slow months ahead. If you've been dreaming of taking your own cooking show on the road, $35,500 will get you a van outfitted with four sinks, two propane fryers, a propane grill, several fridges and freezers, and a whole lot of memories from RiotFest and Warped Tour. Check out the listing for the truck here.

Photo by Jesse Milns.

The Province might be willing to review the way that alcohol is sold in this province, but don't expect to see it available at corner stores any time soon. Premier Kathleen Wynne once again dismissed the notion earlier today when pressed by reporters about an Ed Clark-led review of the relationship between the LCBO, the beer store and other wine and beer retailers in Ontario.

While the ability to by a six pack at the convenience store will remain a pipe dream, the Liberals do plan to incorporate some recommendations from the review into the spring budget. Clark has previously indicated that the Beer Store should share profits with taxpayers based on its monopoly in Ontario. Just how far (if anywhere) this goes is unclear, but for now the upstanding folks at Brewers Retail won't have to worry about the safety of underage drinkers everywhere.

Alas, I won't be sleeping any sounder myself -- at least not until I know I can calm my shakes with a corner store-supplied nightcap.

If you love your neighbourhood so much that a toque is just not enough, or you've decided those are soo last winter, two Toronto clothing designers are letting you show off your neighbourhood pride in the most meta way thus far: accessorizing your most loveable accessory, your pup.

The Parsons Design grads behind the Higgins Would Be Proud shop and the doggie Stomping Grounds collection are inspired by their 10 year old pug Higgins, and they're giving back: ElderDog charity receives 10% of every purchase, meaning you're helping both aging dogs and aging dog owners when you're taking your Queen West Bitch out for a sprinkle.

Warning, many Toronto dog owners will be let down by the shortage of hoods represented here, but if your Scarborough pooch loves to mingle at the Trinity Dog Bowl, maybe a compromise can be reached. For me the bigger issue is the quips - where's "Too presh for King West," "Ossington Fire Hydrant Early Marker," Leslieville/The Junction's "Stroller Rider or Die," "This Yorkville Pup's Nose is Higher Than Yours," and something about starting from the bottom in Forest Hill...help me out here.

Will you buy your pup a neighbourhood sweater, or is your miniature schnauzer holding out for "Drake you ho this is all your fault?" Let us know in the comments.

The Target Canada liquidation sales the company teased at earlier this month will kick off on Thursday, according to internal memos between Target staffers - and, if the emails are to be believed, it'll be like Black Friday all over again. The CBC reports that while Target is on the brink of acquiring court clearance for liquidation, which is set to be approved as early as this Wednesday, the company is already preparing to start unloading huge amounts of merchandise at its soon-to-be shuttered Canadian stores, including several GTA locations.

"We expect Thursday sales to double compared to a normal Thursday," one of the emails reads. Another, sent from a B.C. human resources employee, reads: "Thursday will be like Black Friday." Expect more details on the deals themselves to arrive within the coming days, as the company is planning "hardcore marketing" to spread the word about the sales. (Friendly reminder: Be nice to Target employees while you scramble for that discounted toaster.)

Photo by jp1958 in the blogTO Flickr pool

Photo by Uncle Drew in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto TIFF presents a complete retrospective of Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien all through February. Tonight see Hou's favourite, The Boys from Fengkuei. You can also stop by TIFF's "Bold, Black, Risk-Takers," an Evening Honouring "The Book of Negroes," for free. Then at the Garrison, 416 Dating Stories is back with a team of Torontonians who've braved dating in the 6 and lived to tell the tale to you live. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Sadness: 416 Dating Stories (The Garrison)
• Film: Good Men, Good Women: The Films of Hou Hsiao-hsien (TIFF)
• Film: Bold, Black, Risk-Takers (TIFF)
• Games: Gladstone TV Trivia Night: Twin Peaks (Gladstone)
• Party: In The Jungle Vol.4 (Phoenix)
• Film: Out in the Night (The Bloor Cinema)
• Art: Douglas Coupland (MOCCA, ROM)
• Food: La Poutine Week
• Drink: FeBREWary
• Film: The Great Digital Film Festival (Jan 30 - Feb 5, Cineplex Theatres)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Image: The Boys from Fengkuei

The streak of no closures continues this week on DineSafe, though a number of top-drawer establishments received yellow cards. Both Mildred's and Vertical Restaurant racked up a slew of infractions related to general maintenance and #dishwasherproblems.

Here are the rest of this week's DineSafe offenders:

Mildred's Temple Kitchen (85 Hanna Ave.)
Inspected on: January 26, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 1, Significant: 4)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Jelly Modern Doughnuts (181 Bay St.)
Inspected on: January 27, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Significant: 4)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Gandhi Roti (554 Queen St. West)
Inspected on: January 27, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 4, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Hurricane's (963 Bloor St. West)
Inspected on: January 28, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 1, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Operator fail to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated

Vertical (100 King St. West)
Inspected on: January 30, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Aji Sai (467-469 Queen St. West)
Inspected on: January 30, 2015
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional)
Number of infractions: 1 (Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A