GREEN & GLOVER: Russell Simmons, vegan

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By Stephanie Green and Elizabeth Glover

Dining with stars

When you're planning a dinner for mega-watt stars, it's always best to know their culinary tastes beforehand.

Publicist Janet Donovan learned this the hard way when she discovered from G2 that the evening's guest of honor, rap star and Def Jam founder Russell Simmons, is a vegan.

"Well, he can eat the lobster," Ms. Donovan suggested. Uh, no. Vegan means no meat, dairy products or eggs - in short, no animal byproducts. A tall order at an Italian restaurant like Teatro Goldoni.

Without breaking a sweat, Ms. Donovan and the helpful staff whipped up a veggie-and-pasta dish for Mr. Simmons, who graciously conceded, "I don't normally eat pasta because it comes from eggs, but sometimes you have to."

Mr. Simmons told us he has practiced veganism for "the past nine years" and "for about the past 20 years" has been a teetotaler.

"It's spiritual," he explained about his lifestyle choices.

Decked out in a hoodie and New York Yankees cap, Mr. Simmons was a perfect gentleman throughout the evening, chatting with guests and removing his hat before the meal began, revealing his bald head.

Mr. Simmons, actor Terrence Howard and actress Gabrielle Union ("10 Things I Hate About You") are in town this week for Children Uniting Nations (CUN), a nonprofit for at-risk and foster youth in partnership with Mr. Simmons' Hip Hop Summit Action Network.