Daniela Herrera
Counter 3. Five. VII. | Austin
December 2017
Though she was born in Texas and raised in California, it was the time Daniela Herrera spent in Juarez, Mexico, that had the greatest influence on her choice to become a pastry chef. Admiring the pastry creations tucked behind her local bakery’s glass case, Herrera––an artist and a sculptor imagined the masterpieces she could create with a newfound edible medium.
After completing her studies at the Art Institute of Phoenix in 2007, Herrera moved to the West Coast to learn the ins and outs of the professional pastry kitchen under Rising Stars alum Jason Knibb and her mentor Jack Fisher of Nine-Ten in La Jolla.
After time spent at Box & Bells in Oakland, Herrera left California for Austin and a stint at Qui. Then she found a home at Counter 3. Five. VII. As pastry chef at one of the city’s few tasting menu restaurants, Herrera is steadfast in delivering desserts that edge on weird but accumulate in the wonderful. Her flavors are ambitious––caviar shares a plate with cheddar and popcorn––but her dishes remain unmuddled, simple, and above all, rooted in memorable whimsy. Herrera hopes to continue to push the limits of the pastry chef’s metaphorical studio with a possible ice cream truck or paleta stand in her future.
