Beloved chef receives key to the city

Mayor Stewart Welch and other city officials and residents surprised beloved Otey's Tavern chef, Rodney Davis, with a key to the city on January 18 for his impact on the community while working at the restaurant for 30 years. 

Residents met at Utopia Cleaners and Laundry a few doors down from Otey’s before surprising Davis with family, close friends and cake. 

“You’ve made such a big difference in the community,” Welch said. “What we want to do is present you with the key to the city. Thank you for all that you’ve been to our community for the last 30 years.” 

Davis said the best part of working at Otey’s is the Mountain Brook community. He said both the customers and his employees treat him like family and he does the same. 

“It’s just a family-oriented community,” Davis said. “A lot of the people that I have watched grow up here, watched grow up as babies, now they have babies of their own and they come back and bring their babies to let me see them. It’s a great family-oriented community with some great people.” 

Liz Knecht, a Mountain Brook resident, said she met Davis 30 years ago. She used to eat dinner at Otey’s twice a week with her dad, she said, and remembers Davis always making time to speak with her, even if he was cooking several meals in the kitchen. 

“We always say that Rodney is truly an angel on Earth,” Knecht said. “He’s the kindest person I know. He loves, truly, every single person that he comes in contact with and you can feel it.”