Benitoite in Montrose offers California cuisine with European and Middle Eastern influences. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer) By Lisa Dupuy . Jan. 13, 2016 11:21 AM PT .

Last weekend the 21-year-old Ille discovered a rare star-shaped piece of benitoite in San Benito County, where this country’s only mining spot for the gem is located. That exclusivity prompted ...