If there is one place in Chicago known for owning the rise of the cupcake craze, it’s Sweet Mandy B’s. This Lincoln Park spot has been baking and frosting for two decades. Family-owned and operated, Sweet Mandy B’s opened in 2002 as a destination– where the sweets are the main focus, not an afterthought. And while the bakery is THE place for cupcakes in Chicago, it has perfected a whole lot more. Iced sugar and molasses cookies that remind you of simpler times, bars just like your nana used to make, and custom cakes that take any special occasion up a notch. Don’t miss out on the chocolate chip cookies though–they were just named the best chocolate chip cookie in IL by Yelp.