Parade's gone by

SATURDAY'S CHINESE NEW YEAR Parade was a blast. Union Square was flooded with light like the set of a Hollywood spectacle. ... The clear, crisp, cool weather marked an auspicious beginning to the Year of the Monkey -- all under a yellow, yet waning, Full Hunger Moon -- if you can be hungry and full at the same time. ... The traffic cops -- gracious and patient during the parade on Saturday -- were helpful to those who had to get to work downtown amid the crush of spectators. ... On Post Street, I fell in behind the parade -- with its explosions of color and fusillades of firecrackers -- just barely tickling the dragon's tail. ...

Strange de Jim, no stranger to the more enjoyable things in life, checks in with "Happy Year of the Monkey" greetings. "Although," Strange adds, "I'm still writing 'Year of the Fruit Bat' on my checks." ... Janet Jackson's absence from last night's Grammys compels Strange to advise: "Remember, if we let the nation be traumatized by Janet Jackson's right breast, the terrorists have won." ...

"I think PG&E has something against North Beach," Ed Moose griped after another power outage hit the neighborhood on Friday night. It started at 7 p.m. and lasted for nearly three hours. "We lost 150 reservations," muttered Moose. "And they haven't compensated us for that big one just before Christmas." Friday's outage also hit the area unevenly; the lights went out at the Washington Square B&G but all was calm and bright at Tony Nik's. ... On Sunday, serenity had clearly been restored to Moose's. Pianist Don Asher & the wonderful Waldo Carter, horn in hand, provided a sweet version of "Here's That Rainy Day" on a beautiful afternoon. ... The great Billy Philadelphia has joined Moose's lineup on Tuesday nights. ....

There was a gaggle of charming gals at Moose's on Wednesday night. It was a send-off party -- orchestrated by S.F.'s pre-eminent hostess, Donna Ewald Huggins -- for Doris Raymond, who is moving her business and herself to Los Angeles. ... Doris has a wonderful vintage clothing house called The Way We Wore. ... Pat Yankee sang a couple of spirited songs with Mike Greensill at the piano and Ruth Davies on bass. ... Chuck Huggins called into Moose's pay phone to serenade Doris with "Ace In The Hole." ...

I'll miss Doris and her great clothes. ... I'm fond of vintage neckties. I have a very short and loud one that still has the coffee stains that Broderick Crawford left on it while filming "All The King's Men." ...

Some took care of that yearning caused by the Full Hunger Moon this weekend by stopping at Opi's on Market & Golden Gate for a dish of Max Benghazi's homemade rice pudding. ... The employees of Jossey-Bass, the publishing house on Market & 6th, have made Opi's, open only a month or so, their regular hangout. ... Meanwhile, Tariq Alarzraie is moving his Dot Com Cafe -- a longtime center for mid-Market social life -- around the corner to 120 Mason, next to the Olympic Hotel. ...

Last week I reported that Anna's Danish Cookies, in the Mission, had closed. It turns out that Anna's has moved -- to San Mateo. ... Michael Pulizzano writes: "Anna's re-opened last month at 1007 Howard Ave. and it still has its 'Classic Original and Chocolate Enrobed' Danish cookies!" ... Chocolate enrobed? ... Tom Carroll reports that Tartine, the bakery at 18th & Guerrero, near the former site of Anna's, is going strong. Tom says Tartine is terrific. ... A fave of Boz Scaggs, too, it seems. ... Speaking of the Peninsula, that was Dana Carvey -- once enrobed at Belmont's Carlmont High and S.F. State -- behind the Warriors bench last night in The Arena. ...

Chestnut Street's Lucca's Deli, one of the old mainstays of the Marina, is celebrating its 75th year in business. Owners Paul Bosco and his sister, Linda Fioretti, will be making a display of Marina memorabilia and family photos for the front window. ... Meanwhile, I'll continue to leer at the artichoke frittata through the glass. ... Phil Kaplan still finds it hard to believe that he's been operating his Bond Cleaners at Fillmore & Jackson for 52 years. ...

Janet Jackson was banned from the Grammys for not apologizing for her Super Bowl antics. Justin Timberlake got on the Grammy broadcast because he did apologize. ... I'll apologize for my transgressions -- but I'm not appearing anywhere. ... Kat Luciano, a lucky lass, no doubt, points out that I referred to the main character in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" as "Cat." ... S.F.'s Kat says, "Bruce, I think you mean Ashley Judd is getting rave reviews for her portrayal of Maggie, in 'Cat,' not Cat in 'Cat.' I should know: I've been getting rave reviews for being Kat for many years now." ... Thanks, Kat, for not being too catty about it. ...

In Russia, one of Vladimir Putin's challengers in next month's elections has suddenly disappeared. Notes Sebastian Melmoth: "At this point, that must give George W. a few ideas." ...