Cheap Eats - Jamaican roti is anything but rote at One Love Diner

I’ve always had a soft spot for restaurants located in former Pizza Huts. In my experience, they’ve been family-owned ethnic eateries with excellent food that keep, in varying degrees, the old Pizza Hut furnishings. That only adds to the charm. One Love Diner calls one such landmark of brand management home. Outside, the unmistakable tomato-red roof, dark V-shaped windows and mossy brown paneling remain intact. Inside, posters of Jamaican beaches adorn the walls.

Smile, Jamaica: Having Bob Marley on heavy rotation is a sure way to create a warm, mellow atmosphere. On an initial visit, a large group of family and friends sat at a length of tables pushed together for lively conversation over Red Stripe for the adults and Kola Champagne for the kids. Although it was just lunchtime, the atmosphere was festive, thanks in part to the attentive, quick-with-a-smile service.

Patty smitten: Although nearly every patty I’ve had tastes like the frozen commercial sort, I still find them completely irresistible. One Love orders theirs pre-made, yet, displayed in a gleaming glass case, they are no less tantalizing. The beef patty ($1.45) doesn’t stray from the winning formula of curry-seasoned ground beef wrapped in flaky lard pastry colored deep yellow-brown with turmeric.

No jerkin’ around: I thought I could take or leave jerk chicken until I tasted One Love’s. Their version ($6.50, small serving) is succulent and heady with allspice, thyme and cinnamon. It’s got the perfect hit of scotch bonnet — fiery enough to make you gasp the first bite, but not so blisteringly spicy that you can’t taste anything else. Accompanying fried plantains are lacily caramelized around the edges, and stewed cabbage’s puckery vinegar kick keeps the plate’s rich spiciness in check. Coconut milk in the rice and peas adds a soothing, mellow note, while the pigeon peas add nutty texture and flavor.

Livin’ Extra Large: One Love’s chicken roti ($6.95) is one of the most saucily scrumptious things I’ve eaten all year. A thin, crepe-like pancake (the roti itself) is filled with an exceptional chicken curry. Watch out for the bones. This isn’t any dainty, apple-and-raisin studded affair; it’s the real deal of chicken, marrow and all, simmering in a pot for hours with a complex, earthy and almost floral combination of spices. Tear into the roti and the curry sauce comes running out, lapping over the coriander-scented ground peas used to dust the inside of the pancake. Nubs of potato are hidden in the rich sauce, providing a creamy touch. The filled roti weighed at least a pound, yet I found devouring it whole a gloriously easy task.