Sage on the Coast - Newport Beach

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I was starving as usual. I was still craving eggs. Brunch buffet was not the answer, but what would still be serving my kind of fare at 1:30pm? I went for it and took off to Crystal Cove. I've been to their other outpost at Eastbluff for lunch before, so I had a good idea of what to expect. Crystal Cove is a great find. You've got Mastro's Ocean Club, Javiers (soon. or is it already open?), Pacific Whey Cafe, Bluefin and Sage to keep you company. Parking is plentiful enough, and down the street is the (Ruby's) Shake Shack and Beachcomber Cafe right on the beach. Yes, there are some options in the neighborhood. I'm not the kind of person who wants to knock a place. However, I'm going to flex my non-conformist bone and share a less than stellar experience. I mean, it takes a lot to mess up breakfast. We were seated in the main dining room. A couple of groups were enjoying their mimosa-induced laughter on the patio. There was only one other table being serviced inside. We waited between five and ten minutes before someone even acknowledged us. That should've been my cue. The s/o was already getting miffed. Interior-wise, it was open and airy. Everything was very ....green. Not a bad thing, it was the only thing I could really remember. Floor to ceiling windows brought in the outside sun. The patio looked inviting. For $8 he chose a seasonal fruit plate. Yeah. It was a few sliced strawberries and some melon. Disappointing, to say the least. Did I mention that it came towards the very end of our meal? He hoped the French toast (that wasn't close to the online menu description) would carry redeeming qualities. The one specific request he asked for, syrup on the side, couldn't even be met. Good grief. I couldn't find the banana pancakes anywhere, and settled for the mushroom, leek, and asiago cheese omelet. What a disaster. It was like a poorly assembled burrito. The cheese was lumped in one section, and the leeks were nowhere to be found. I requested some double smoked bacon. It was burnt to a crisp. Black around the edges. Blech. Things were so disappointing that after spending $50+ on nothing special we walked over to Pacific Whey and munched on french toast and pastries for another $10 to satisfy us. Who would've thunk that such a nice place for lunch and drinks could serve such a mediocre meal? That would be me. Crystal Cove Promenade 7862 East Pacific Coast Highway 949.715.7243