Domingo tops Villaraigosa, Kobe as L.A.’s preferred lunch date

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Which would you rather discuss over lunch -- the Lakers, the baffling minutiae of the Los Angeles city budget, or opening night at the opera?

According to the results of an online poll conducted by the Downtown News, when given the choice among four prominent downtowners -- including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Laker Kobe Bryant -- 66% of those responding to the poll would most like to have lunch with Los Angeles Opera’s general manager and superstar tenor Plácido Domingo. He’d have a lot to talk about right now: The L.A. Opera’s 2009-10 season launches Sept. 12 at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with Donizetti’s ‘The Elixir of Love’ and the company will stage its first Ring Cycle later this season.

In last place was Mayor Villaraigosa, netting just 6% of the vote.

In the middle were billionaire Philip Anschutz, head of Anschutz Entertainment Group (16%), and Bryant with 14%.

The poll was conducted Aug. 17-28 and published in today’s issue of the Downtown News.

-- Diane Haithman