When we at SFist are confronted with questions from visitors to our fair city on how to avoid the touristy stuff and live like the locals do, we bite back our first response ("Step in dog crap on way to Muni, curse dog owner. Muni is delayed/late, curse Muni. Repeat daily"), and send them over to local resident review/recommendation site yelp.

And, hey, we even use yelp ourselves -- either to get recommendations or to avoid those places recommended by folks we don't like the looks of. Maybe not the intention of the site's founders, but it works for us (A gynecologist recommended by fauxhawked Elvis-sunglassed guy in "vintage" t-shirt? Not gonna happen.)

Yelp is the brainchild of Jeremy Stoppelman, a guy who admits to having seen Sweet November, exposing himself to a former mayor, and enjoying Marina vs. Mission cage matches. Learn all about Jeremy and his many, many links after the jump!

Introduce yourself in one sentence: Former engineer with cool marketing makeover.

Age and Occupation: 28, CEO of Yelp.com

Home Town: Great Falls, VA

How long have you lived in the Bay Area and where and WHY?:
I've been in the Bay Area since 1999, living mostly in the SOMA and the Mission. Why? Lofts and burritos.

Favorite place to spend time online: Yelp.com, seriously.

Favorite local business: Another shameless plug, you can sort through my reviews, highest rated
to lowest, at jeremy.yelp.com

What I'm currently reading: Ray Kurzweil's The Singularity is Near

Best deal in San Francisco: The street fairs (Union St, Folsom St, Fillmore, Haight...)

Favorite mode of transportation: On foot, power-assisted by puppy.

Best band or musician to come out of the Bay Area:
Historically speaking, The Grateful Dead, but my music tastes fall more to the likes of Miguel Migs and Kaskade. I think electronic music - and the culture around it - really captures a lot of what the Bay Area is all about.

Favorite Bay Area stereotype, and whether or not you buy into it: We're all laid back and wear tie-dyes. I don't wear tie-dyes.

Favorite local hangout: Cafe Madeleine for quick coffee meetings, Canteen for dinner, drinks at Hotel Biron.

SF has the BEST: Views. And an outrageous mix of people, one of my favorite hobbies is putting my Marina and Mission friends in the same room and watching them duke it out.

You've never lived in SF until: You've eaten a true Mission burrito.

Favorite Bay Area politician of past or present: Frank Chu.

Now that Mayor Gavin Newsom is single, who are you going to set him up with? I know a few female yelpers who'd give him the "five-star" treatment!

You can tell someone is a local here IF: they think Gavin Newsom is an ultra-conservative Republican

SF would be soooo much better if only: we added a monorail.

Best Burrito El Metate

Best Restaurant: Canteen for brunch,Isa for dinner with friends, and Myth when I'm to impress.

Best movie scene filmed in or about SF:
When Keanu Reeves goes from Potrero Hill to Dolores Park in what seems like a minute - on foot no less - that's in Sweet November. Oh, did you know that the house in Bullitt is a classic. What was the question again?

Favorite artist to come out of the Bay Area: Don't hate me, I don't know a ton about the new artists in this city, but I'm trying to learn more.

Favorite author to come out of the Bay Area: Dave Eggers, Po Bronson.

Place you always tell visitors to check out: Paxton Gate, Dolores Park, Mt Tam

Favorite bridge in the area: The segment of the Bay Bridge that goes to Treasure Island.

You have two hours and $15 bucks to kill in SF, what are you going to do?: Taxi to Crissy Field with dog.

I have found/sold/bought the following on craigslist: Used matress.

I want all the SFists out there to know: That there's this pretty neat local reviews site called Yelp...

Tell us a San Francisco Story:
I was at Kokkari one evening, went into the bathroom and realized that the honorable Willie Brown was using the urinal right next to me. Needless to say, we didn't shake hands.

Question you'd ask if you were doing this interview:
Who comes up with these questions? Answer: Our venerableInterview editor, Emily Cox, Or "Who would win in arm-wrestling match, Steve Jobs or Bill Gates?" Answer: Steve Jobs, but he'd cheat just a little.

What's your sign? Scorpio, what's yours?