Russell Zeller (right), general manager and owner, and Bill Kurz (left), owner, hold a pizza at the Garlic Knot Mayfair, one of 11 Garlic Knot restaurants in the Denver area. At back (left to right) David Ireland and Kraig Young, the pizza tosser. Front Porch photo by Laura Mahony.

Whether it’s been a long day and the kids need to be fed or there is a big game on TV dinner at a neighborhood family restaurant is often answer. The newly opened Garlic Knot Mayfair, serving authentic New York pizza and pasta, is aiming to fill that need for northeast Denver residents.

The Garlic Knot Mayfair is one of 11 Garlic Knot restaurants in the Denver area. The Mayfair New York style Italian restaurant is owned by Bill Kurz, Steve Cooke, Joe Giampietro, and Jinny and Russell Zeller.

“We all run it,” Kurz explained. “Jinny and Russell are the cooks. They have done a lot in pizza over the years. We always have an owner-partner at the restaurant. On a busy shift, you might find two or three partners in the restaurant.

“Generations of recipes are distilled from New York pizzerias and restaurants,” he added. “The partners are from New York. We know what is good style pizza and pasta because we grew up with it. The partners have all been here a long time. We all just sort of found each other. We all wanted to create what they had in New York, so we created a fast, casual Italian restaurant.”

“We have artwork that reflects New York. We’ve tried to reflect the places in New York that have a nice, inviting, family feel to them.”

The Garlic Knot Mayfair offers salads, calzones, spaghetti, penni, ziti, ravioli, lasagna, manicotti, scampi, pizza, hot heroes, desserts—and a kids menu that offers mini-sized portions with reasonable prices.

And, of course, there are garlic knots, which are knotted-up pieces of dough that are rolled in oil and garlic before baking. They represent a tradition available at Italian restaurants on Long Island and in New York City, according to Kurz.

The restaurant also serves beer and wine, offering six beers on tap. And there is a Build-your-own Sundae Bar.The Mayfair Center wanted to redevelop the property, which also includes a 7-Eleven and a liquor store. “The owner redeveloped the building and redid the parking area to make it a little more inviting,” Kurz said.

The Garlic Knot Mayfair offers space for a team celebration after a kids’ game, a birthday party, or other group gatherings. The dining room has big booths and TVs throughout, the party room seats 40 people, and the restaurant has an outdoor patio for summer nights.

“We had a fundraiser for an elementary school to raise money for their PTA. We do birthday parties where kids can make their own pizza. And, we work with local businesses to provide food at work places. We will cater for 10 to 200 people.”

The Garlic Knot Mayfair delivery boundaries are Colorado Boulevard, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Havana Street and East Alameda Avenue. The minimum order for delivery is $10, and there is a $1.50 delivery fee.

For delivery or to reserve the party room, call 720-941-1000. For a menu, visit GarlicKnotPizza.com and select the Mayfair location. Garlic Knot Mayfair is located at 6217 E. 14th Ave. Hours are: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; and 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.