Opulent desserts by The Silver Bough’s Margarita Kallas Lee

A new restaurant in Montecito takes the concept of fine dining along the Central Coast to a whole new level. At The Silver Bough, you can enjoy a luxurious 16-course meal for $550 a person ($450 excluding alcohol). What makes the price tag so extravagantly high? Husband and wife duo Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas Lee, who own the restaurant inside the Montecito Inn, use the finest ingredients from around the globe, from Tasmanian ocean trout and Japanese Wagyu beef to 24k gold and black truffles from France.

Bee pollen from Blue Ridge Honey in Ventura. Photo credit: Kathryn Barnes/KCRW

Chef Phillip Frankland Lee and his team in action at The Silver Bough. Photo credit: Joe Schmelzer

Another fun utilization of chamomile is to use it in caramel for a delicious dessert. I really like the texture and flavor of this vegan caramel recipe I came up with a while back, and chamomile would be a great flavor to make it even better!

• 2 cups brown sugar

• 1 tbl sp. salt

• 1/2 tsp vanilla

• A handful of chamomile

• 1 cup coconut cream