You'd be surprised at what opposing food additives are put into regular recipes or restaurant dishes.
Sweetness (honey etc) and saltiness together add a depth of flavour to sauces. When ever I do a pepper sauce (for steaks) I always add brandy but add it late in the cooking process so the brandy flavour does not get cooked out. I add honey to take away the sharpness and just enough salt to calm any sweetnesss. A knob of butter adds another bit of depth and finished off the sauce.
Similarly, when adding smoked bacon to liver and onions, its important to caramalise the onions but adding the salty bacon can be complemented with a bit of honey, if the onions don't quite do the job.
None of the above additions makes the sauce sweet, rather it's job is to take away bitterness or calm saltiness and add depth. My sprogs love it when I cook.