Pfeifer House was an unmistakable fixture along Highway 89 in Tahoe City for generations. With its stone fireplace, timbered ceilings, and European cooking, it was a little Alpine chalet that felt right at home in the Sierra.
For Maureen Sullivan, it was also part of a family tradition. She began visiting as a teenager in the 1950s, and the Sullivan family returned over the decades. When the old restaurant closed and the property came up for sale, she saw a chance to bring it back to life. She also had the right people in mind to run it: her stepson, Mark Sullivan, and his wife, Alison, both accomplished chefs.
That idea became Savoie, which opened this past summer. Getting there would take considerably more than a fresh coat of paint.
“For generations, the Sullivan family has enjoyed spending time, in both summer and winter, in Tahoe and at the Pfeifer House.”
Mark and Alison Sullivan
The chefs who decided to make Tahoe home
Mark and Alison bring a substantial culinary résumé to Tahoe City. Mark’s career includes The Village Pub, Spruce, and Selby’s, restaurants that earned Michelin recognition, as well as PlumpJack here in Olympic Valley earlier in his career. Alison was the opening pastry chef at The Village Pub, worked with Laurent Gras and Ron Siegel, apprenticed in Paris, and later built the pastry program at Boulette’s Larder.
Mark and Alison have been full-time Tahoe residents for almost six years, with children in local schools and neighbors who have become part of their everyday lives. That experience shaped their idea of the restaurant as much as their years in professional kitchens.
“We think it is Tahoe culture that has influenced our concept, perhaps as much as anything else.”
What remains and what changed
Maureen bought the property in 2019. By the time Savoie opened, the project had stretched across nearly seven years.
The challenge was to bring the building into the future while preserving the things people loved and remembered. Former Pfeifer House patrons will recognize the original stone fireplace, beamed ceilings, and taxidermy, including the moose. New additions include a larger bar, an open kitchen, wood paneling, and paintings of the Savoie region.
The kitchen’s centerpiece is a custom Molteni range that Mark spent a year designing, with a chef’s table facing it. The restoration was a family effort, with Mark’s sister, designer Annie Sullivan Cobb, and her husband, Oliver Cobb, leading the interiors.
“Our atmosphere is comfy and luxurious in equal measure.”
The Alps through a Tahoe kitchen
Savoie takes its name from the region in the French Alps bordering Switzerland and Italy. Those familiar with the region will recognize the cheeses, handmade pastas, and hearty dishes suited to the end of a day of adventure in the mountains.
Mark and Alison’s approach is to carry those traditions into a California kitchen. They use French technique and draw on Alpine dishes while letting ingredients from Northern California and the Sierra shape what ends up on the plate. The menu moves with the seasons, giving familiar preparations room to change with what regional growers and producers have available.
Three dishes that tell the story
Mark and Alison highlight three dishes that provide a sense of their cooking.
First is boudin blanc, a creamy white sausage made in house from chicken, veal, and pork. Their version comes with red cabbage, beets, and a horseradish soubise sauce. It puts the restaurant’s European roots front and center.
Then there are the raviolettes, small ravioli shaped by hand and filled with fresh ricotta. These are paired with a bright sauce vierge featuring cherry tomatoes from the farmers market.
Given Alison’s pastry background, dessert deserves some attention. For their crème caramel, the chefs describe using caramelized honey from Sierraville and pine tips foraged on the hillside behind the restaurant.
A bar seat or a big night out
Mark and Alison hope people will come for a bite after skiing, a birthday dinner, or a seat at the bar on an ordinary Tuesday.
They picture a solo diner settling in at the bar as comfortably as a group of longtime friends gathering around a table. Their examples run from a burger on a house-made bun and snacks to share to handmade truffle pasta or a steak cooked over a wood fire. The idea is to give people several reasons to come back.
“We have built a place with a seat for everyone: locals, weekenders, and folks who just want to relax and eat well.”
A gathering place for Tahoe City
For Mark and Alison, a successful restaurant also brings people into town. They hope that more visitors choosing Tahoe City for an afternoon or evening out will help the surrounding businesses, too.
That brings the story back to Maureen and the place she remembered. For decades, Pfeifer House gave families a reason to gather on River Road. Now the Sullivans hope people will start building their own traditions at Savoie.
“The Pfeifer house was a beloved gathering place for all, and we hope to continue that tradition for a long time.”
Visit Savoie
Address: 760 River Road, Tahoe City.
Posted hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 5–10 p.m.
Reservations: Savoie website
Menu: View the posted menu
Instagram: @savoietahoe