Among the online review community Yelp - a site where users are referred to by their first names and last initials - Paul F. was a local legend, a pioneer. In nearly six years, he wrote 929 reviews. He visited new restaurants before most people knew they existed, determined to be the first to judge. Paul G. Ferrara, 70, of North Columbus, has posted his last review. He died on Aug. 23.

Paul F. once gave a gas station a five-star review for its hot dogs. He tore into a breakfast restaurant for charging him a quarter for jelly. He wrote of an enjoyable lunch at an Indian buffet, though he noted, �I don�t have the foggiest idea of what I ate.�



He reviewed hospitals and auto repair shops, tailors and bakers. He ate pan-seared foie gras (�If I had it to do over I'd have skipped this one�) and fast-food dollar burgers (�And they weren�t too bad�). He reviewed a lunchtime trip to Kohl�s: �I was looking for underwear believe (it) or not. And they had just what I was looking for and the price was okay.�



Paul F. had opinions. He didn�t keep them to himself.



Among the online review community Yelp � a site where users are referred to by their first names and last initials � Paul F. was a local legend, a pioneer. In nearly six years, he wrote 929 reviews. He visited new restaurants before most people knew they existed, determined to be the first to judge. Often, he was: Paul F. wrote the inaugural Yelp review of 188 separate places.



Paul G. Ferrara, 70, of North Columbus, died on Aug. 23. The Pittsburgh native, a former computer programmer, left behind two sons and a handful of grandchildren. And all those opinions.



Local Yelpers will gather Tuesday to remember Paul F., the man who despised plastic utensils and dirty windows and loved submarine sandwiches and exclamation points. They�ll meet at Fortune Chinese Restaurant on Olentangy River Road, his favorite, and eat the spicy wontons he always raved about (�You get a dozen of them and boy are they good! And spicy!�).



They�ll mourn their friend, the grump, the sweetheart, the unexpected champion of local businesses who nevertheless once reviewed a restaurant thusly: �I went in, took a look around and left.�



Paul F. stood out on Yelp, and not just because of his prolific writing. He was an early adopter of a forum seemingly overrun by 20-something amateur critics. Paul F. was the loud, grumpy old guy, one with a swoop of thick white hair, one who quoted Garrison Keillor in his profile: �Sex is good, but not as good as fresh, sweet corn.�



His reviews were short and to the point, never flashy. His first entry gave Easton steakhouse Smith & Wollensky a single star for its �overpriced food and snooty waiters.�



�Paul was hilarious,� said Bryant Miller, the Yelp Columbus community manager who delighted in reading Paul F. reviews. �I think that the big redeeming thing with Paul is you always knew what he meant.�



Paul F. noted dirty countertops and rude teenagers. If something was wrong with the meal, he�d announce it to the waitress in the booming voice of a man whose own hearing was faltering.



�That was just Paul,� said Mike Greene, a Yelper who befriended Paul F. after he recognized him one day at lunch. �You have to take Paul as he is.�



When it came to reviewing his own life, Paul F. wasn�t one to mince words, either. In November, after his recliner of two decades gave out, he headed to Value City Furniture (four stars) for a replacement. The discount store wasn�t his first choice.



�But I knew at this stage of my life I didn�t want to go high-end again,� he wrote. �It�s probably safe to say that I won�t be around for another twenty years. Hard to admit that but it�s true.�



Paul F. didn�t post much in August, just three reviews on the first two days of the month. Yelpers noticed. Restaurants owners noticed. Greene sent him a message: �Hey Paul...I�ve been watching for a new review from you...it�s been three weeks now. Very odd.�



Miller broke the news to Yelp on Monday.



Paul F.�s profile is still up on the site, along with all of those reviews. His last one was Aug. 2, a five-star rave of The Market Italian Village.



�It was a nice night and they had all the windows open and it was the perfect night for it,� he wrote. �So the first thing I did was to roam around a bit. ...Then I grabbed a seat and ordered a (charcuterie) board and a glass of riesling and just ate and took it all in.�