Best chef you never heard of

Todd English and Jody Adams may be more famous, but Dannie Kelly -- that's Mr. Kelly to you -- has got to be the coolest chef around. The 44-year-old Mattapan native, who bears a striking resemblance to the animated chef on South Park, has made his culinary kingdom in Roxbury, at the headquarters of Community Servings. The local nonprofit provides a daily meals-on-wheels service for 675 people in Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville who are HIV-positive or have full-blown AIDS.

Kelly started working at the nonprofit organization eight years ago, and he quickly became a favorite of the many volunteers. "He makes his kitchen feel very familial, but he's also parental," says 26-year-old Ginny McCormick of Newton, who has volunteered there since 1998. "He'll tease you if you're chopping too slowly. I love it when he sings a little song. I also love the banana bread he sometimes makes."

Such comments are music to the ears of Community Servings' top management. "Volunteers, when they come here, want to feel that they've done something worthwhile, but they also want to have a good time," says Tim Leahy, the organization's development director. "Mr. Kelly helps make sure that they have a good time."

To which the chef responds, "Well, I'm flattered when people say that, but I couldn't do this without the volunteers. They're my backbone."

And what about the singing? "I sing a lot, but I can't carry a tune," he demurs. "I sing for God. Besides, it wouldn't pay the bills."

Community Servings, 125 Magazine Street, Roxbury, (617) 445-7777. For more information on both Kelly and Community Servings, check out the Web site at www.Servings.org.