Judging by the never-ending crowds, Sunday brunch at Bayside in Newport Beach, CA, where the shiny cars in the parking lot cost as much as many homes in the real world, could be the most popular meal in that glitzy city. The space itself is wonderfully theatrical, with fabric-draped ceilings and a very large, clubby bar. The Champagne brunch ($27.95 per person) is a delicious three-course affair with offerings that range from grilled medallions of venison loin with a spiced red wine reduction to a simple roasted chicken breast with wilted spinach. Located on a calm inlet of Newport Bay, attentive service and live jazz make the package irresistible.

For more information: Bayside

Everyone agrees that the best view of Seattle is from Salty's on the northeast side of the Alki Peninsula, facing downtown Seattle across Elliott Bay. The $38.95 weekend brunch buffet is as transporting as the view, with Dungeness crab, poached king salmon and shucked-to-order oysters, along with egg dishes, meats, assorted vegetables and fruits. House-made desserts and live piano music bring added contentment. Northwest Cable News anchor Erik Sandoval is among Salty's fans, claiming that "you go there for Sunday brunch and you just sit in awe of the buffet and the wonderful view. You get full from both of them!"

For more information: Salty's

Sunday brunch at The Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge has a lot going for it, especially if you're lucky enough to sit outdoors on the pink patio. It is very Southern California, with a lush collection of palm trees, azaleas, bougainvilleas and impatiens, but the indoor rooms aren't bad either. The classic elegance, the attentive service, the well-prepared food, the trendy diners and the live music add up to a heady experience. The three-course prix fixe menu includes a glass of Moët et Chandon Champagne, and the a la carte menu offers temptations ranging from a Dutch apple pancake with sour cream and dark Vermont maple syrup ($19.75) to grilled petit beef tenderloin with caramelized onions and poached eggs ($28), along with standard breakfast fare.

For more information: Beverly Hills Hotel

Washingtonians are a culturally diverse, well-traveled bunch, and the $24.95 Champagne brunch at Georgetown's 33-year-old Bistro Français is a draw because it looks, tastes and feels authentically French. Its stained glass windows, array of large French posters and crisp white linens on closely spaced tables contribute intimacy, and well-prepared Oeufs Bénédictine (eggs Benedict), Sauté d'Agneau (marinated lamb stew) and Truite Braisée Florentine (broiled trout with spinach mousse) are among the entrées. There are no desserts on the brunch menu, but the Champagne is unlimited (officially, a refill) so diners don't seem to mind.

For more information: 3128 M St NW; 202-338-3830

Chef Adam Siegel won the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef Midwest in 2008 for his work at Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee, so it stands to reason that the brunch here is top-drawer. A French restaurant with a fabulous view of Lake Michigan, the three-course menu offers entrées like peekytoe crab cakes topped with poached eggs, flaky pastry filled with scrambled eggs, spinach and Basque-style stewed peppers, and beef tenderloin with black truffle scrambled eggs. The price of the brunch is the price of the entrée ($20-$31), so the other two courses and Champagne are essentially free.

For more information: Lake Park

A hip brunch in Cleveland? That’s right, start your Sunday right with steel cut oatmeal “brûlée” with poached apricot and candied almonds ($6), then move on to chef Doug Katz’s braised pork crepes with crème fraiche, Argentinian pepper relish and fried egg ($12), or perhaps the jumbo lump crab cakes with poached eggs, tomato hollandaise and sauteed spinach ($15). Located in Cleveland’s historic Shaker Square, Fire Food and Drink is a “contemporary American place that has great waffles and great pancakes,” says Ruhlman, “done nicely and originally.”

For more information: Fire Food & Drink

Choosing a best brunch is no small task in a city as food-loving and un-calorie conscious as the Big Easy. But New Orleans native and Southern California culinary personality Vern Lanegrasse swears by Brennan’s, where you can get your party started with a Creole Bloody Mary or absinthe frappé, then dig into the amply portioned Eggs Nouvelle Orleans—poached eggs on a bed of lump crabmeat topped with brandy-infused béchamel sauce. There’s also Eggs Sardou (poached eggs on artichoke bottoms with creamed spinach and hollandaise sauce) and Eggs Hussarde (poached eggs atop Holland rusks with Canadian bacon and Marchand de Vin sauce). The price for all egg dishes is $28. Room for dessert? Order Bananas Foster—the dish was invented here. Reservations are essential.

For more information: Brennan's Restaurant

If one restaurant were to redefine "brunch," it would have to be this sleek Midtown super-diner that draws hotel guests during the weekend and a hip crowd of Manhattanites on weekends. What does Steven Pipes, the hotel’s genial General Manager like best? “I tend to get hooked on one item and order it for five months until the waitstaff starts making fun of me,” he says. “My latest favorite is Normalita’s Huevos Rancheros.” You could also try the Caramelized Chocolate Banana Waffle Napoleon ($18), Upstream Eggs Benedict (with smoked salmon and fingerling potatoes, ($19), or the Waz-Za, an über-waffle with fruit inside and out and a crackly brûlée top ($17).

For more information: 118 West 57th St., 212-708-7460

Red vinyl banquettes, high ceilings, friendly waiters and uniformly delicious French bistro fare—could this be better than Paris? Yes, especially when you consider this Soho standby’s very popular brunch menu. You might begin with Le Panier, a basket of fresh breads and pastries from Balthazar’s bakery ($16) before attacking the sour cream hazelnut waffles with warm berries ($16), scrambled eggs in puff pastry with wild mushrooms and asparagus ($19), or the always awesome steak frites ($30.50). Reservations are essential.

For more information: 80 Spring St., 212-965-1414

Genteel Charleston is arguably a southern version of its northern colonial sister, Boston, but one thing that’s sure to bring consensus is the Lowcountry-style Sunday brunch at High Cotton. Begin with buttermilk fried oysters with arugula and green goddess dressing ($8) or head right for the white chocolate cream cheese-stuffed French toast topped with strawberry sabayon and whipped cream (and apple smoked bacon on the side; $10). There’s also the popular BBQ Duck Hash ($11), cornmeal-dusted Carolina trout ($12) and the Maverick Eggs Benedict ($12), made with buttermilk biscuits, Newsom’s country ham, poached green grocer eggs from Wadmalaw Island, red eye gravy and hollandaise.

For more information: 199 East Bay Street, 843-724-3815