New Year's Day brunch: Careful, your favorite Sunday brunch place might not be open

You'd think finding a good New Year's Day brunch would be a slam-dunk when New Year's Day falls on a Sunday. But, be careful, not every place that serves a regular Sunday brunch is opening up on New Year's Day.

Rocket to Venus, City Cafe and McCabe's are among the popular brunch destinations giving themselves the day off.

Here are a handful of surefire picks for New Year's Day brunch.

Slainte in Fells Point starts serving breakfast at 7 a.m. on New Year's Day. But it does every day. Check out the traditional Irish breakfast platter, which includes black and white puddings, or the Breakfast Boxty, homemade potato pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, rashers and cheese.

So Bo Cafe is serving brunch from 11 a.m to 2:30 p.m. It's the Federal Cafe's first-ever brunch under its new ownership. Cannoli-stuffed pancakes, braised beef hash and ham, leek and fontina omelet are on Timothy Dyson's debut brunch menu.

Ze Mean Bean in Fells Point is another great option for early risers. The Slavic cafe's popular Sunday Jazz  Brunch starts serving at 3 p.m. It's a good idea to call for reservations. Try the Polish Cowboy, two buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup, scrambled eggs and grilled Polish sausage

Victoria Gastro Pub in Columbia is serving New Year's Day brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The a la carte brunch menu includes poutine, lobster and grits and mascarpone-stuffed challah French toast.

The Rams Head taverns are all open for New Year's Day brunch beginning at 11 a.m., serving up breakfast pizzas and Eastern Shore French toast.