Under his direction, Palio's 20 well-trained kitchen staffers serve approximately 500 lunches and dinners each day. He is at the forefront of Alta Cucina, the ultimate in refined, contemporary presentation of Italian food. Born in Italy, Theo Dal Fiume was educated in Bolzano at the School of Culinary Arts for Professionals. After training at restaurants in Italy and Germany, he opened his own, Paul & Theo, in Val Gardena, Italy. Two years later, he was offered the opportunity to serve as Palio's chef under the guidance of Master Chef Andrea da Merano.