Who says you have to go to the North End for an authentic homemade Italian meal? When the craving for penne with vodka sauce hits, those in the know bypass the Big Dig and make a beeline for Antonio’s Cucina Italiana, a family-owned restaurant on Cambridge Street, near the Mass General Hospital.

The décor of this small storefront restaurant is as nondescript as the black-and-white awning over the doorway. White linen tablecloths and cafeteria-style wooden chairs grace the room; Italian prints hang between faux-Greek-column sconces. Still, Antonio’s has the warm feeling of a neighborhood place without any pretension. Its 50 seats are usually filled, and boisterous conversations peppered with laughter permeate the room.

While the appetizers are not the standouts of the simple menu, if your appetite calls for them, try the lightly battered and fried artichokes margarita ($6.95), topped with a wonderful lemon-wine sauce. Save your appetite for the main dishes, though — you’ll need it.

The sheer volume of the chicken and broccoli with pasta ($10.50) often evokes laughter as it’s delivered. Sautéed white-meat chicken and broccoli florets are tossed with a buttery parmesan-wine sauce and served over the pasta of your choice. It’s best with the tender handmade fusilli, and worth every penny of the extra $2. The spinach ravioli ($9.50) are hand-stuffed half-moons filled with more spinach than ricotta (for a nice change) with the slightest hint of nutmeg, covered in a tangy, garlicky fresh tomato sauce good enough to eat with a spoon.

Most of the desserts are brought into Antonio’s, except for the cannoli ($4.50) and the tiramisu ($4.50). The crispy cannoli are made light and decadent by their sweet and creamy filling. Drenched with espresso and topped with a creamy and rich, but not eggy, mascarpone, the tiramisu is a house favorite.

Antonio’s isn’t just a substitute for the North End — it’s good enough that when (if?) the Big Dig is completed, you may no longer care how to get to Hanover Street.

Antonio’s Cucina Italiana, located at 286 Cambridge Street, in Boston, is open Monday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday, until 10:30 p.m. Call (617) 367-3310.