Pistaché makes Middle Eastern-inspired pastries

A local baker whose Middle East-inspired pastries have taken off over the last few months doesn't even have his own storefront.

Driving the news: We first tried Pistaché's baklava cheesecake at the Texas Halal Fest in October.

• After learning that Pistaché partners with local coffee shops, we recently drove to Mansfield to get ourselves another slice.

The intrigue: Tarek Elbanna is a Palestinian who grew up in Beirut. He launched Pistaché out of a Fort Worth kitchen last fall to honor his culture through pastries.

• His baklava cheesecake has a flakey crust with crushed pistachios. The dessert includes orange blossom water, a staple from Elbanna's childhood.
• "Pistaché is my way of adding my identity to the things that I make, and that's where I draw inspiration," Elbanna tells Axios.

How it works: Elbanna takes private orders and sells some of his pastries at Qamaria Yemeni Coffee in Mansfield, Gahwena Coffee Station in Duncanville and Nur Cafe in DeSoto.

• Baklava cheesecake slices are $6 at Qamaria and $6.77 at Gahwena.
• An 8-inch baklava cheesecake costs $42 through Pistaché's Instagram page.