FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway
When walking on Water Street in downtown Exeter, you won’t be able to miss the sign featuring a flying saucer with a fork and knife on top, hovering over a frying pan. FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway (161 Water St., Exeter, 580-1350, flybycafe.com), which landed in town this spring, is the latest venture of chef Matthew Sharlot and his wife, Karen, of Amesbury, Mass., who owned the Wellington Room in Portsmouth from 2008 to 2016. Unlike the Wellington Room’s fine dining food and atmosphere, FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway is a lunch spot offering paninis, sandwiches and subs, salads, soups and breakfast burritos, all of which are made fresh daily. The eatery also carries a prepared food case of grab-and-go items that are sourced from Karimah’s Kitchen of Kensington, like hummus, falafel, tabbouleh and baba ganoush. The Scene recently talked with Sharlot about FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway and what you should try that is “out of this world.”
How long has FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway been around?
We opened April 6 of this year. … The concept is good food served efficiently, with a lot of love and care. We have a little bit of an alien theme just for fun, with a big mural on the wall of a flying saucer in space.
What makes FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway unique?
I think what makes us unique is that we’re not in the least bit corporate. We’re a very real mom-and-pop kind of place, so when I’m making the sandwiches I’m actually talking to customers, and everything is made from scratch. … There’s a realness that people are missing in the corporate world we live in.
What is your personal favorite thing on your menu?
It’s probably the muffuletta. It reminds me of New Orleans, which is one of my favorite cities in the country. Ours is called the “Dr. John,” [which is] named after a famous New Orleans musician. … It’s basically an Italian sub with the addition of crushed olives. The olives cut through the cold cuts and just add that sparkle. Muffuletta is actually a type of bread, but we can’t source it here so we put it on ciabatta.
What is something that everyone should try?
I’d say the breakfast burritos, which are served all day long. We have a vegetarian one called the El Pueblo, where the main protein is beans, and then another one that has house-made chorizo, eggs, cheese and pico de gallo. People go nuts for them.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at FlyBy Cafe & Takeaway?
Tom Waits. I love his music.
What is an essential skill to running a restaurant?
Taking things as they come and not getting stressed out. You have to be able to constantly reprioritize and … also just work well with others.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
I think the people around here like to have a good time. They take advantage of when the weather is good and just enjoy life, because there’s a lot to do here.
— Matt Ingersoll
Photo Credit: Ned Savoie of Harbour Light Strategic Marketing
