About Tonight: Don't Sleep on SOFA

Battle of the Bhut, SOFA preview party, Addiction Thursdays

By MARCUS RILEY

Updated 6:57 AM CST, Fri, Nov 6, 2009

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The weekend is so close you can almost smell it, so why not get a head start on the festivities by linking up with the About Last Night crew? Resist the urge to lounge on your sofa, log off of Facebook and hit one of these three spots and put on your happy face for our video and still cameras. Of course, we'll publish the evidence Friday morning. Here's the plan:

My Mouth, My Mouth, My Mouth is on Fire!
From the very first time we saw Kobayashi inhaling hot dogs at an insane pace, we've been intrigued by eating contests. But Jake Melnick's Corner Tap's Battle of the Bhut wing eating contest promises to be especially interesting because they're using Jake's XXX wings -- made with the Bhut Jolokia pepper, the hottest pepper in the world. They're so hot, you have to sign a waiver before eating them. The legendary Bill Kurtis provides the play-by-play. 6 p.m., Jake Melnick's Corner Tap, 41 E Superior St.

Lounging at SOFA
The annual Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Fair (SOFA) hits Navy Pier this weekend, but before you start perusing the goods in earnest, you need to get your party on. The opening night preview gala goes down from 7-9 p.m. in the Festival Hall. The ticket will run you $50, and includes hors d'oeurves and wine at food stations throughout the exposition and the opportunity to rub elbows with artists, collectors and curators. Grab you tickets here or at the door.

Poke Your Facebook Friends in Person
How many times have you run into someone who seems vaguely familiar, only to realize that it's because you're Facebook friends and have never actually met in person? Sounds like it's time to put down the laptop and try something crazy, like, I don't know, actually socializing with people in person? JBar splits the difference tonight with the launch of its new Addiction Thursdays series, with a Facebook theme kicking things off. Drink cocktails like "The Tag" and "The Poke Me" for $6 each, and complimentary appetizers from 8-9 p.m. Prizes will be given away during a Facebook trivia contest and there's sure to be plenty of opportunities to create a new profile pic. JBar, 610 North Rush St, 8 p.m. - 2 a.m.