Radici

The story

Radici Modica: Contemporary Sicilian Osteria by Chef Accursio Craparo | Michelin Recommended

Radici: A Contemporary Osteria in the Heart of Modica

In the historic center of Modica, just beside the Duomo di San Pietro, Radici is the contemporary osteria of chef Accursio Craparo. Opened in 2019, it represents a deliberate shift away from formal fine dining toward a freer, more accessible style of cooking. The name means “roots,” and the concept is exactly that: a return to the origins of Sicilian home cooking, presented with modern lightness and sincerity.

Chef Craparo, a native of Sciacca who fell in love with Modica in 2003, previously earned a Michelin star for his work at La Gazza Ladra and later at Accursio Ristorante. At Radici, he steps out of the chef’s whites and into the role of the oste — the host who personally presents each dish, tells its story, and lingers at the table to talk. The atmosphere is unhurried, convivial, and deliberately informal, like dining in a friend’s home.

The menu is built on the flavors of Sicily, from the Hyblaean pastures to the coastal salt roads. Dishes change monthly with the seasons, drawing on wild herbs foraged in the Modican countryside, vegetables from the chef’s own garden, and ingredients sourced from trusted local producers. Among the plates that have already defined Radici are bread meatballs in house sauce, cannelloni with holiday ragù, roasted lamb, fried pasta, pasta with sardines, octopus roasted on fava bean purée, ricotta cannoli, and the chef’s personal interpretation of biancomangiare — the cult Sicilian dessert he calls “L’Uovo di Accursio.” Vegetarian dishes are given particular care, reflecting the Mediterranean tradition that elevated humble vegetables and legumes into the heart of the table.

The dining room occupies an old palazzo overlooking the main corso, its interiors a restrained, elegant version of a Modican home — welcoming without pretense. Every detail is chosen to make guests feel at ease.

Radici’s approach has earned it a place in the Michelin guide, a recognition that aligns naturally with its philosophy: honest, heartfelt cooking that respects the integrity of its ingredients and the memory of the family hearth. Each plate carries a story worth telling.