Sauce on Hampton, Inn of the Seventh Ray

Sauce on Hampton: We were looking for a special/romantic breakfast, but the first impression when we got there around 9am on a weekday was not good. The tables are small and close packed, and there was only one table occupied. They (the other couple) were outside, a choice necessitated by the music blaring inside the restaurant. We also chose to sit in the blinding sun with the rather poor view, so we could at least hear each other talk.

We took time trying to find the right things to order (no pancakes/waffles/crepes on the menu). We got the Mexican omelette with a side of bacon, the Traditional breakfast plate (eggs over-easy), a pomegranate lemonade, and a coffee. In order of experience:
1) The eggs came out sunny-side-up. Though well prepared, that's not what we ordered.
2) The omelette was the best part, delicate yet filling, cilantro adding flavor.
3) The bean salsa did not "go" with the omelette; it washed out the flavors and wasn't flavorful/spicy enough itself.
4) The salad that came with the omelette was drenched in way too much dressing.
5) The side of bacon that came with the omelette was very tasty and just-right crispy.
6) The bacon that came with the breakfast plate was soggy and only tasted ok...not so flavorful.
7) The potato chunks with the omelette were soggy and had no flavor.
8) The roast tomatoes were cold. I love roast tomatoes, and these were charred on the outside, but didn't have any flavor.
9) The toast (on both plates) was fine/serviceable.
10) The lemonade was very dramatic looking, though the flavor wasn't so impressive. It was too sugary though not too-too sugary...it didn't have that fresh taste.
11) The coffee was poor...diner-level coffee...too bitter and yet not strong enough. They had just brewed a fresh pot, so I feel sorry for people who arrived later after it'd been sitting longer.
12) The coffee cup had three bits of napkin stuck to the inside (hidden under the coffee). It had obviously not gotten clean in the dishwasher and wasn't visually examined before use.
13) The waitress was fine...not so experienced but friendly.
I will not go back. Zabies could show these people many things, and I'm not all that fired up about Zabies.

Inn of the Seventh Ray: We made a second attempt at a romantic meal for a weekday lunch. This time we chose from Yelp based on location and "romantic" in the reviews. We called ahead trying to get special seating, but were brusquely told that there's no hostess for lunch. When we got there the sign said to grab a menu and seat yourself, so we did. Then we were told we couldn't sit there. Apparently half the seating area was off limits...the quiet part that wasn't cramped seating next to big tables of loud people. So we sat down, and waited and waited and waited. Ten to fifteen minutes later we yelled out "I'd like some bread too!" And sure enough, a couple minutes later we had bread and a while after that we got our drinks. I'm sure it's hard for a single server to cover 24+ people spread amongst 8+ tables, but feeling neglected does not make for a romantic setting. Thankfully, a second person started bringing waters and bread. Unfortunately the bread was no-fat, no-flavor...though it did have plenty of seeds. Oddly enough it was served with a bitter olive oil (not high grade), and a strong/young balsamic vinegar. Not only did the bread not go with either, but the oil didn't go with the vinegar. If only they'd given us a bit of butter maybe it would've had a good taste. We also got a lemonade (fine, not great), and one of their special drinks (Around the World) which had a very interesting flavor but reminded me so much of Kombucha that I wasn't impressed in the end.

Anyway, the setting was why we were there, right? Not the service or the food, apparently. Unfortunately, the setting was outdoors/rustic, plus a white ribbon around the wooden fence. The stream was nice enough, I suppose, but I've seen woods before. This one even had an old wooden chair just randomly sitting out there near the stream/crick. And the constant sound of traffic completely ruined the "nature" vibe. The wobbly chairs and smallish round "patio" tables didn't help...nor the way I had to lean forward so the waiter could pass by me to reach the table next to us.

When the appetizer arrived, things started looking up. We ordered a three beat appetizer and got a beet salad (with two types of beets that I could tell), that had very nicely done golden beets (and beautiful yellow with red swirled edges), overdone red beets, some salad, pecans, a touch of blue cheese, and a bit of salt and olive oil. The golden beets, touch of salt, and salad made things much happier, though the overdone beets were disappointing. The main courses were a steak sandwich and a flatbread with olives and chicken. The sandwich was ordered medium rare, came out well done. The best part of a steak sandwich is biting into a thick steak, with a bit of bread to keep it from getting your fingers messy. This had thinly sliced steak of pretty high quality, with a really thick ciabatta bun and some not-so-helpful toppings (I remember some fresh spinach and a flavorless tomato). Disappointing...I suppose it's my fault for ordering steak at an apparently "new age" restaurant. The sandwich came with uninspired potato salad...potato salad needs something in it other than potatoes...maybe some green onion? Finally, the flatbread was ok, way too salty. The chicken was prepared well, but didn't have that wonderful poultry flavor, and it was all pretty overwhelmed by the olives anyway.
I will not go back.