Let’s face it, it’s probably time for Super Secret Ice Cream in Bethlehem to change its name, because the secret is out. How super secret can it be now that, for the third year in a row, the shop has been named a James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalist?
Owned by Kristina Zontini, Super Secret Ice Cream is one of 20 semifinalists from across the country in the Outstanding Bakery category, which recognizes “bakers of bread, pastries, or desserts that demonstrate consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations.”
There is one other New Hampshire semifinalist in the 14 James Beard award categories, which were announced this week. Evan Hennessey, chef at Stages, in Dover, which Hennessey also owns. He is one of 20 semifinalists in the Best Chef-Northeast category [the Best Chef category is split into 12 regional subcategories.]
The James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef award winners are named in June.
Super Secret Ice Cream, at 2213 Main St. in Bethlehem, makes its own ice cream using local ingredients from area farms and producers. The shop began as a food cart, opening as a brick and mortar location in 2022 with a takeout window, and then as a full ice cream shop, operating year-round, in early 2023. The next year, Zontini was named a James Beard semifinalist in the Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker category, which includes makers of any type of dessert covered in the Outstanding Bakery category. Last year, the shop was an Outstanding Bakery semifinalist.
Zontini shared this year’s award news Wednesday with a brief social media video showing a piece of tape with “2026” written on it being added to a plaque touting the 2024 and 2025 awards.
The name comes from the shop’s origins. Zontini started making ice cream “as a creative alternative to her desk job,” according to the store’s website. “After many homemade flavor experiments, the batches piled up in her freezer. Calling it ‘super secret,’ Kristina transformed an old ski tuning shed into a pick-up ice cream shack…through word-of-mouth, a private Instagram account and a small email list of friends and family, word spread and neighbors asked for more.”
Hennessey, a 2014 James Beard semifinalist, opened Stages, at 1 Washington St., in Dover, with his brother Jared Hennessey. He’s also a three-time champion on the Food Network show “Chopped,” and in 2024 launched an apprentice program for aspiring chefs at his restaurant.