Mojito Contest Video UPDATE:

Last month, Nacional 27 sent out a press release trumpeting the sale of what it claimed was its 250,000th mojito. This pan-Latin spot, which is still still-hot-as-habanero on weekends, opened in December, 1998 when the sugary, minty rum drink was still a novelty--and way before things like flavored mojito flights (which Nacional serves) hit menus. Pomegranate-ginger-chile mojito, anyone?

But look out, Nacional: Carnivale has you on the rum, er, run. Open since September, 2005, tonight it kicks off a three-day celebration featuring dinner specials, live music and more in anticipation of the sale its100,000th mojito, which it is likely to be sold on Thursday. To get ready, tonight "Bacardi girls"  push around a "Mojito 101 cart," giving out samples (no, those wont count towards the 100,000), and there will  be a mojito making contest for you amateur muddlers. (Six finalists will return on Wednesday to be judged by celebrity a celebrity panel including Metromix's Karen Budell.) On Thursday, the restaurant will hold a drawing for a trip to Miami, which is pretty close to Cuba, we guess.

So alright, our question to you is: Whose mojito has mo' going on? Nacional 27 or Carnivale? Tell us your fave.

Is it just us, or is that a 60-foot inflatable black phallus sitting in front of the Equitable Building (401 N. Michiagan Ave.)? What's that you say? It's supposed to be a bottle of Axe "bodyspray"? Oh, same difference. The "men's grooming product legendary for helping guys get girls" -- as its likes to refer to itself --is probably a little more "famed" for its juvenile marketing campaigns that stoke the fantasies of adolescent boys. But now the product takes things to a whole new level with this stunt -- that thing is five stories high after all. From 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m. the inflatable, um, spray can will serve as Moonwalk inside of which "Axe Angels" will bounce up and down. (What's an Axe angel? "Think attractive girls," says the press release. Yeah, we'll think real hard.) But to add to some sort of -- we assume -- timely element to the stunt, a group of Chicago CPAs (get it? Tax Day? CPAs?) will join in the bouncy, bouncy fun. We hope they're wearing pocket protection.