BY SERGEI KLEBNIKOV | For Brazilian restaurant and bar Berimbau, the World Cup was personal. Mario Espindola, the place’s owner and manager, can boast that he is related to a player who was in the starting lineup of the Brazilian national team — his cousin, goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
Cesar reportedly frequents the West Village restaurant, at 43 Carmine St., when he’s in the city, with his most recent visit occurring several months ago, before the World Cup.
According to restaurant staff, he comes to eat and hang out with his cousin Espindola. The goalkeeper was described by Berimbau’s employees as a “nice guy” who is “laidback and quiet” in person. They say that a lot of people — especially Brazilians and soccer fans — recognize the goalkeeper, who started every match for Brazil in the World Cup.
However, the tournament no doubt left a bitter taste for Brazilian fans as their team bowed out in disappointing style.
“You can’t blame him,” said waiter Evy Loreiro of Julio Cesar. “It’s easy to blame the goalkeeper, but it was the entire team and coach who are to blame.”
The game turned out “not at all as expected,” Loreiro said, for the 70 fans who crowded into the restaurant, only to watch in horror as Brazil conceded seven goals to Germany in the semifinal loss.
“We’re not used to losing like that — Brazil is usually one of the best teams,” added a waitress who didn’t give her name.
Loreiro pointed out that despite Brazil’s subpar performance, the general feeling was that Cesar played well in the tournament, including saving some penalty kicks during the shootout against Chile.
Local resident and soccer advocate Patrick Shields heard about the restaurant’s connection to Cesar from area shop owners. He described the atmosphere in Berimbau when Brazil triumphed over Chile in penalty kicks during the round of 16. As Cesar saved two consecutive penalties to put Brazil into the next round, “the place erupted,” Shields recalled. There was dancing, drums, hugs and high fives as everyone was filled with a sense of “joy partnered with relief,” as he put it.
Now that the World Cup is over, Berimbau will continue introducing Brazil to its customers, but now without the soccer. However, the restaurant has a comprehensive menu of traditional Brazilian foods, like steak, seafood and rice with beans — “the classic dishes.”
Shields, who traveled to Brazil to watch the World Cup games, and just recently returned, called it an amazing experience.
“It was a triumph for the nation, regardless of their team’s outcome,” he said. “They really pulled it off.”
