Tom Brady hoists the Lombardi Trophy after leading Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory.
When I first moved back to Florida in 1993, the Tampa Bay Lightning had just completed their first season in the National Hockey League — at the Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds in unincorporated Hillsborough County.
And, one of the reasons I moved to Florida from Westchester County, NY, was because Tampa Bay was rumored to be getting not just an expansion baseball franchise, but my beloved San Francisco Giants were supposed to be leaving Candlestick Park to come to our area and I wanted to publish a Giants magazine.
Gary Nager, Editorial
Well, as the saying goes, the best laid plans of mice and Giants often go astray, and the Giants never moved here, but the Nagers still did. Five years later, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays were finally born as a Major League Baseball expansion franchise.
And, when I moved here in 1993, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were simply awful.
After going 0-14 in their first year (1976), the Bucs made the playoffs for the first time in 1979, and two more times in 1981 and ‘82, but then went 15 years before their next postseason game, under second-year coach Tony Dungy. Their record during that span was a dismal 100-223, which means they won less than a third of their all-time games from their inception through my third year of owning the Neighborhood News. Even so, you’d never know it if you talked to any fan who was from any part of the Bay area.
The Bucs’ fans were almost cult-like, despite their creamsicle-colored uniforms, long before Dungy became the coach. I remember being threatened by a bar owner in New Port Richey for suggesting that he turn his largest-screen TV off a Bucs preseason game. He told me, “We’re all Bucs fans here, son. If you don’t like it, I invite you and your family to leave.”
But oh, how the Tampa Bay area’s sports franchises have risen. In perhaps the hardest year for sports ever, as virtually everyone in the country now knows, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2020 Stanley Cup (the team’s second), the Tampa Bay Rays made it to the World Series for the second time and the Tampa Bay Bucs capped their 2020 season with a dominating 31-9 win over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs the day before we went to press with this issue — the team’s second time hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy (photo).
It historically hasn’t been an easy time rooting for the local major sports franchises, especially, this Covid-crazy year, but how rewarding has it been?
Who would have thought that the Bolts would come back from the previous season’s devastating sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the 2019 playoffs? Who would have thought that the Rays, with one of MLB’s lowest payrolls, would beat out the Red Sox, Yankees and defending American League champion Astros to advance to the World Series? And, who would have thought that the Bucs would go from being a 7-5 playoff pretender with a questionable defense and a finally-old-looking 43-year-old QB to reel off eight consecutive wins, including decisive victories over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers and the seemingly unbeatable Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs? Out of nowhere, we won eight consecutive games with a top-level defense and Tom Brady looking like, well, the Brady who had won six Super Bowls with the Patriots.
Wow. If not for The Weekend’s worst-ever halftime performance and Covid forcing most local fans to stay away from the first-ever Super Bowl played and won by a team in its own stadium, Brady, head coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles finished off an almost perfect game to give the GOAT his seventh win and fifth Super Bowl MVP award.
Congrats to the health care heroes who got to attend the game for free. I salute you and your efforts to keep as many of us as possible alive during this plague even more than I salute the Bucs, the Bolts, the Rays and even MLS’s Tampa Bay Rowdies for providing the best-possible distractions during this most difficult year. Way to go, Champa Bay!
Here’s Gary’s favorite restaurants in New Tampa. If you missed Gary’s New Tampa favorites from 11-25, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Here’s the Top 10!
1 — STONEWOOD GRILL & TAVERN 17050 Palm Pointe Dr., Tampa Palms (813) 978-0388 Even though it hasn’t always been my #1 favorite restaurant in New Tampa, there’s no doubt that Stonewood Grill & Tavern in Tampa Palms has been near the top of my list since the day it opened two decades ago. And yes, it did win with our readers again in 2020, too.
Stonewood continues to serve delicious and popular ahi tuna, crab cake and bruschetta appetizers, as well as the best (and best variety of) steaks (like the 9-oz. filet mignon pictured above) in New Tampa and it also offers a daily “market catch” (like the fresh grouper piccata, with sauce on the side and perfectly sautéed spinach) and other specials (like excellent lollipop rib lamb chops…mmm) that have kept it near the top of my list every year.
GM Matt Passardi — who previously ran the Grillsmith in the Shops at Wiregrass — and his staff also are back to keeping their guests happy at New Tampa’s most-happening bar scene, but of course, Covid-19 had shut down the bar and Stonewood’s elegant dine-in experience for several months.
Passardi told me that the posting of the picture of the ribeye steak with last issue’s Reader Survey results definitely helped boost his ribeye sales since then.
2 — VIA ITALIA 8644 Hunter’s Village Rd. The Village at Hunter’s Lake (813) 475-4857 The fact that Via Italia had only been open a short time before our annual survey ended but still finished 9th in New Tampa with our readers is an indication of what a great place it is. Owner/chef Roberto Maganuco’s place has an amazing variety of different styles of pizza (Neopolitan, Roman and others), but I love it even more for its beautiful, full-liquor bar and amazing pasta selection — including two types of pesto — Genovese and Siciliano — as well as linguine with clams, cavatelli with broccoli & sausage (photo above) and more. If Roberto adds fresh fish and maybe a steak special next year, Via Italia could move up to #1.
3 — THE FAT RABBIT 16029 Tampa Palms Blvd. City Plaza at Tampa Palms (813) 252-3004 The Fat Rabbit in Tampa Palms is another place with outstanding food (like the best wings in New Tampa, and great burgers and tater tots) and beverages that could finish even higher on my list with even more menu options. Adding a fresh catch — fish (photo), or sometimes shellfish — option in 2019 definitely moved it up and the addition of a petite (5-oz.) “Fat Filet” has given it even more appeal for me. And of course, The Fat Rabbit also has a large and attractive, premium liquor bar that would make it a great option for live music or karaoke (or both), in addition to its regular trivia nights, but maybe that’s just my opinion.
4 — LIMA PERUVIAN 19056 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. New Tampa Center (813) 304-0205 When Lima opened basically a couple of weeks before the pandemic hit in the former location of El Pescador in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza, I was excited, because I already loved Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken (photo) and fresh fish ceviche. And, owner Oscar Escudero’s delightfully different (at least from any place in our area) take on the cuisine widely considered as the best of the Latin countries is absolutely delicious and my second favorite new place (to Via Italia) to open in New Tampa in 2020. Try the baked scallops (conchita parmesano) appetizer and the Peruvian/Chinese-style fried rice, too!
5 — CALI-TAMPA PALMS 17004 Palm Pointe Dr. Shoppes at The Pointe (813) 975-1222 The Ciccio Restaurant Group has created one of the most successful slates of local eateries in the entire Tampa Bay area, with concepts like Green Lemon, Daily Eats, Ciccio Water and Better Byrd (look them all up), but Cali (nee Ciccio Cali) has been the only one in our area since Lodge closed in the former Ciccio & Tony’s location in City Plaza. But, I have always credited Cali as the first to bring “bowl culture” to New Tampa. The menu has been simplified, with multiple “bowl style” options (try the “Lean & Clean” with tuna), plus crisp-crust, hand-tossed pizzas and famous wrap sandwiches (photo; the Cali Club is my fave).
6 — LAS PALMAS LATIN GRILL 6431 E. County Line Rd. (813) 803-3903 If you’re looking for amazing fish, owner/chef Ramses Garcia serves our area’s flakiest, tastiest merluza (like snapper) a la Rusa, as well as award-winning Cuban sandwiches (photo) and traditional specialties like ropa vieja (shredded beef), picadillo (ground beef) and arroz con pollo (chicken & yellow rice). I really love the steaks — palomillo (in mojo sauce, with onions), churrasco (skirt steak with chimichurri sauce) and sautéed vaca frita (crispy beef). But, the lechon asado (tender roasted pork), masitas (pork chunks) and special pork chops are my faves. Try Ramses’ wife Ana’s award-winning tres leches dessert, too!
7 — LIANG’S BISTRO ASIAN CUISINE 17515 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 978-1225 Liang’s is now the undisputed champ of our local Chinese places with both yours truly and our readers, now that Fushia in Tampa Palms has closed. There’s no doubt Liang’s is an upscale Chinese (with other Asian options) restaurant with great food. My favorite entrées are the steamed (with mixed veggies) or Liang’s crispy fish, the sizzling Shanghai steak and Sichuan chicken, but I love Liang’s for its New York-style BBQ spareribs (photo) and crispy egg rolls. The item Jannah and I take out most often, though, are Liang’s awesome sautéed string beans, but I order them in a spicy chili sauce.
8 — ORONZO HONEST ITALIAN 18027 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. The Walk at Highwoods Preserve (813) 730-0100 What happens when you take a fast-casual concept like Chipotle but instead of Mexican fare, you offer homemade Italian dishes with freshly made pasta, unique wrap sandwiches, pizza-style flatbreads and more? In the case of Oronzo, the answer is “something delicious.” Owner Dan Bavaro, who also has Bavaro’s Pizza locations in downtown Tampa and downtown St. Pete, offers house-made spaghetti (with delicious meatballs, above), sausage, veggies and a variety of sauces, plus beer, wine and yummy desserts.
9 — ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA 14947 Bruce B Downs Blvd. Oak Ramble Plaza (813) 971-1787 Although I spend a lot less time these days south of Tampa Palms on BBD, it never takes much to convince Jannah to go to (or take out from) Acropolis. Part of another successful Bay-area mini-chain, Acropolis features authentic saganaki cheese flambé and artichoke & spinach dip appetizers, a tender shish (filet) and chicken kabob duo, savory loin lamb chops and our favorite entrée — the thin, crisp, lightly fried Athenian fish pictured above. And, even though Acropolis doesn’t have a true Greek vinaigrette-style dressing, the Greek salad also is outstanding.
10 — BAYSCAPE BISTRO at Heritage Isles Golf Club 10630 Plantation Bay Dr. (813) 994-3445 Former Wharton High culinary teachers Eddie and Lourdes Bujarski have created an impressive restaurant inside the Heritage Isles GC clubhouse. As I said last year, with a more extensive menu, Bayscape would finish even higher on my list, because it’s hard to beat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. There are great wings, burgers, salads and sandwiches, but my faves are the dinner “signatures” like country fried chicken and slow-roasted, top round roast beef with brown gravy above. It’s been a while since Jannah and I stopped in for dinner and Friday night karaoke, but we’ll definitely be back.
If you missed Gary’s New Tampa favorites from 11-25, CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Every year, after we report the results of our Reader Dining Survey & Contest, I always feel compelled to give you my dining favorites, including all of the restaurants that opened in (or very near) New Tampa and Wesley Chapel the previous year. And, with all the new eateries that opened in our distribution areas in 2020 after the reader voting ended, my “survey” list looks even more different than usual than the places our readers voted for in our last issue.
While Wesley Chapel definitely saw more new restaurants open in 2020, New Tampa did have some wonderful additions to its local dining scene — and, unlike “The Chap,” almost all of the new places that opened last year were mom-and-pop restaurants with a nice variety of cuisine options, from Asian to Italian and from Acai bowls to poké bowls.
Here are my favorite restaurants (new and existing) in New Tampa for 2020, from Nos. 11-25. The top 10 will publish online tommorrow. — GN
25. THE BRUNCHERY 17507 Preserve Walk Ln. (813) 533-7271 For those of us who had been begging for a great breakfast place in New Tampa, owner Stanley Athan’s The Brunchery filled that void. And, even though I prefer fried eggs over easy with crispy bacon to the beautiful pancakes topped with fresh fruit shown here, this was such a pretty picture we decided to use it instead. The Brunchery also serves a selection of “Benedict” (poached egg) breakfasts, avocado toast, a lox (smoked salmon) platter, ultimate omelettes and an incredible variety of French toast options. The Brunchery also serves great burgers, sandwiches (including tuna and grilled chicken melts) and salads for lunch, too.
24. PEABODY’S Shoppes at Amberly 15333 Amberly Dr. (813) 972-1725 Peabody’s is more than just a sports bar taken to the next level — with amazing video games, pool tables, dart boards and more TV screens to watch every game at once than just about anyplace else in New Tampa. It’s also a great place for NY-style pizza, the best wings this side of The Fat Rabbit and a recently expanded menu offering Philly cheesesteak and Santa Fe egg rolls, pickle fries, and “Classics” like country fried chicken, loaded boneless wings and of course, some of the best burgers and hand-cut French fries in town. The full-liquor bar also has great drink prices and an outstanding selection of beers on tap.
23. THAI LANNA & SUSHI Cross Creek Center 10022 Cross Creek Blvd. (813) 991-0108 For those of you who don’t live off of Cross Creek Blvd., Thai Lanna is another excellent (and pretty) Thai place that also features really good appetizers like Thai spring rolls, pan-fried dumplings (bottom right in photo above), fried calamari and even fried eggplant. There also are three kinds of crispy duck, with the volcano duck (with mixed veggies and sweet chili sauce) being my favorite. Try the crab fried rice, too. The basil and garlic & black pepper sauces are my faves. Thai Lanna also has added really fresh sushi (cooked shrimp sushi and California roll are shown in the above), too.
22. THE LITTLE GREEK New Tampa Center 19022 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 972-0707 When you want a great Greek gyro sandwich (photo) or platter served with an authentic Greek salad, and you want it to be affordable, served quickly and delicious, you can’t go wrong by visiting The Little Greek. The spanakopita (spinach pie) is my favorite starter and in addition to the traditional gyro meat freshly carved off a rotating spit, there also are chicken (and Greek chicken), falafel, lamb, veggie and steak pita sandwiches, plus chicken, lamb and steak souvlaki skewer entrées in “light meal” and dinner-sized portions. Save room for excellent baklava for dessert.
21. MR. DUNDERBAK’S Oak Ramble Plaza 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 977-4104 When the original Mr. Dunderbak’s was in the University Square Mall, I thought it was a cool place for German food, even though I really only had roast beef and pastrami sandwiches there. The location on BBD (which has been around the last 15-20 of its 45 years in business) has a much more diverse menu, and I really enjoy German dishes like the crispy jagerschnitzel (available in veal or pork, both are great, photo above), the Holstein schnitzel, topped with two fried eggs, and the kassler rippchen (pork chops). I’m not a big beer drinker, but Mr. D’s biergarten has a huge selection. Great European chocolate selection, too.
20. ISLAND FIN POKE CO. 6417 E. County Line Rd. (813) 575-8002 Island Fin Poké Co., which was opened by former New Tampa residents Brenda, Jeff and son Jason Sproat in late 2019, is now well-established as the first Hawaiian-style create-your-own poké bowl place in New Tampa. I love the regular and spicy ahi tuna options as my protein (I usually do two scoops of spicy and one scoop of regular), and there are unique options like spam, octopus, shrimp and tofu, plus veggie options (like regular and spicy pickled veggies, edamame and corn), but as the Sproats say, Island Fin’s sauces are delish. I personally only need the OG and Island Fire marinating sauces…and an occasional Dole whip dessert.
19. GLORY DAYS GRILL 17508 Doña Michelle Dr. (813) 513-7550 When this, our distribution area’s first Glory Days Grill, opened a few years ago, replacing the popular Lee Roy Selmon’s, I will say I wasn’t a big fan. However, when Jannah and I first tried the new Glory Days on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, we recognized that the menu had been greatly upgraded and we have visited both locations quite a bit since then. We love the steak rice bowl, the comeback chicken entrée, Boston chowda and the 1/2-lb. proprietary blend burgers (photo). Glory Days also has two sizes (7-oz. & 10-oz.) of its tasty “1988” sirloin steak, a great sports bar atmosphere and decadent Oreo cookie ice cream sandwiches.
18. WOODFIRED PIZZA & WINE BAR Palms Connection 2822 E. Bearss Ave. (813) 341-2900 The first woodfired pizza place to open in (or near) either of our distribution areas is known for its high-quality pizza ingredients, as well as owner Peter Taylor’s unique pizza names — like my favorite Pizza Raquel, which features house-made fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, grana padano cheese and olive oil, to which I usually add either pepperoni, fire-roasted sausage or Italian-style meatballs (Peter’s “carnivore” pizza has all three) and fresh spinach. The woodfired meatball appetizer and wings and fresh Caesar and wedge salads also are excellent, too.
17. SUSHI CAFE The Walk at Highwoods Preserve 18015 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. (813) 977-7800 For anyone who’s asking, for my money, Sushi Café has the best sushi in New Tampa. With a huge assortment of sushi rolls (photo), including some truly unique options like a Pacific fusion roll with spicy tuna, crunch, cucumber and avocado on top, plus a wide variety of sashimi, Sushi Café also has one of the best spicy tuna tataki appetizers in our area. I also really enjoy the “hibachi from kitchen” entrées, like the filet mignon and chicken options, even though (especially because?) there are no teppanyaki tables. I also recommend the crispy chicken katsu and chicken and veggie tempura.
16. FULL CIRCLE PIZZA Pebble Creek Collection 19651 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 994-3700 Don’t get me wrong…even though I find the deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza shown above very tasty, I’ll never say I like it as much as the New York-style pizza I grew up with. And, even though I know that deep-dish and thin-crust Chicago pizza is a big reason why many locals love Full Circle, I’m actually a much bigger fan of the other delicious menu items owner/chef Freddy Nova and his wife Julia have added since taking over the place in 2017. My favorites are the chicken and broccoli in garlic and oil and the meatball and chicken parmigiana subs.
15. MAHANA FRESH 17512 Dona Michelle Dr. (727) 238-9967 Yes, bowl culture is in full swing in New Tampa and Mahana Fresh distinguished itself when it opened early last year by not just having ahi tuna and grilled chicken poké bowls. Try three kinds of chicken, plus tofu and grilled steak as protein options. I’m addicted to its kale crunch salad as a base, although there also are sweet potato noodles, spinach salad and multiple different rice (including cauliflower rice) options, too. My favorite veggies are the sesame ginger broccoli, the garlicky cilantro green beans and honey sriracha Brussels sprouts. I love the Mediterranean tomatoes as an add-on, and the citrus ginger and cilantro vinaigrette sauces, too.
14. MICHI RAMEN 18027 Highwoods Preserve Pkwy. The Walk at Highwoods Preserve (813) 374-5320 Another newcomer breaking into my top-15 this year, Michi Ramen literally opened as the pandemic hit, and only served at a uniquely designed, plexiglass-enclosed takeout window for several months. But, once it did open, I could see that not only is Michi Ramen great for takeout, it also is a beautiful new place for a delicious sit-down lunch or dinner, with a full, premium-liquor bar. I’m not the biggest ramen noodle fan, but I have heard folks rave about the flavor and variety and I’m not surprised — Michi Ramen’s appetizers like pan-fried gyoza (pork dumplings) and semi-spicy, popcorn-style fried chicken are outstanding.
13. FRAMMI (formerly Oakley’s Grille) 17631 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (813) 523-5075 Even though the restaurant hasn’t been owned by anyone named Oakley in a few years, owner Luca Ammirati kept the name of the popular burger-&-sandwich joint the same until revamping the place into an Italian & American eatery with a much bigger American variety than Oakley’s, plus a big variety of Luca’s authentic Italian dishes (like the amazing fusilli pasta with house-made pesto and grilled chicken above) with the new name “Frammi.” This year’s 13th-place finish is based on Oakley’s menu, but Frammi will finish higher next year.
12. THAI RUBY Shoppes at Amberly, Tampa Palms 15319 Amberly Dr. (813) 558-0570 As Thai restaurants go, Thai Ruby is the most beautiful Thai place in New Tampa and also has the best food, especially since Sukhothai closed. The spring rolls, ginger chicken, the spicy Thai combination fried rice (with chicken, beef and pork), the Siam chicken, filet of grouper and soft shell crab are all top-notch and Thai Ruby may have the largest selection of veggie dishes you’ll find anywhere (I love the steamed broccoli with carrots, green beans and snow peas). But, this also is the place I go when I have a craving for Thai-style crispy duck with sweet & sour, ginger or garlic sauce.
11. KOBE JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE Pebble Creek Collection 19601 Bruce B Downs Blvd. (813) 994-6600 For those who crave the teppanyaki (hibachi) table experience in our area, please check out Kobe. And, even though Jannah and I usually sit at the bar rather than share a table with families with young children, you get the same great meal, just without the show. Kobe definitely has the best-quality filet mignon, sirloin steak and chicken of any Japanese restaurant in our area, and you can even get pepper-crusted tuna tataki hibachi, as well as beautiful-looking surf-&-turf combos with lobster, shrimp and scallops that I (sadly) can’t eat. Great sushi, too.
Here are this year’s Teacher of the Year nominees, as chosen by their respective schools in New Tampa. Also listed are the Ida S. Baker (ISB) Diversity Educator of the Year and the Instructional Support Employee (ISE) of the Year nominees from each New Tampa school.
Turner Bartels K-8 School Teacher: Briana Rabiero, 2nd Grade ISB: Marelisa Moreno ISE: Sue Garcia
Liberty Middle School Teacher: Megan Sullivan, Reading ISB: Brenda Silva ISE: Daina Vasquez
Dr. Lauren Leiva has used her own past physical adversities to forge a plan for clients dealing with a myriad of injury reghab and chronic pain issues at The ExerScience Center in Lutz. That plan often includes the Neubie machine from NeuFit, which uses electrical stimulation to help re-educate your neuromuscular systems.(Photo: Charmaine George)
Lauren Leiva is not just an experienced personal trainer, passionate yogi and certified nutrition expert, she also is a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT). That means she has the knowledge, expertise and advanced degree to help ensure her patients become healthier, stronger and pain-free.
At her ExerScience Center in Lutz, Dr. Leiva offers physical therapy, personal training, nutrition, group fitness and yoga, all with the goal of helping people to feel their best.
Dr. Leiva earned her DPT degree from Nova Southeastern University in Tampa. Prior to that, she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in both Biomedical Science and Biomedical Physics from the University of South Florida, also in Tampa. In addition to her degrees, she is certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine as a Certified Personal Trainer and a Fitness Nutrition Specialist, among other certifications.
Dr. Lauren Leiva
She also is a registered Yoga Teacher (or RYT), a designation given by the Yoga Alliance U.S to an individual who has completed the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training Certification. (Lauren’s was earned through YogaFit Training Systems, which is recognized by the Yoga Alliance U.S.)
While Dr. Leiva originally launched The ExerScience Center in 2015, she opened the doors of her first brick-and-mortar location on S.R. 54 in Lutz (less than two miles from the Tampa Premium Outlets) just this past November. Previously, Dr. Leiva traveled to her patients and to community centers, where she taught group fitness and yoga classes.
She says that the road to her doctorate degree was winding, with a detour when she had to leave school to care for her mom, who had lung cancer and suffered a stroke. Then, she suffered her own medical crisis.
A lifelong survivor of Crohn’s disease, Dr. Leiva’s second pregnancy put her in the hospital, where she stayed for nine months. She says at that time, yoga saved her life.
“Yoga is not a class, it’s a way of life,” she says. “Posture and pose movements are only one part of yoga. It’s a mind-over-matter philosophy.”
With both her own and her unborn baby’s lives in danger, and even when Dr. Leiva was intubated and then later had to use a colostomy bag, she says she had a strong belief she was going to be okay.
“It was yoga, and the ability to have that mind-over-matter spirit when surgeons and everyone else told me I can’t and I won’t,” she says. “I always believed that I could, and I did. I feel I can triumph over anything.”
She shares that spirit with her patients, who appreciate her energy and optimism.
But, Can She Help You?
Dr. Leiva says she treats and trains “everyone,” from people who are paralyzed or have a spinal cord injury, all the way to elite athletes, including Olympians. She currently is working with Raj Dhesi, known as Jinder Mahal or “The Maharaja,” a former WWE wrestling champion.
“I grew up as an athlete — a figure skater, and I played volleyball,” Dr. Leiva says. “But, having been completely disabled myself at times gives me the compassion to treat others. I have a connection with patients who are not able to walk, talk or find their breath.”
She says that helps her to successfully treat people who haven’t been able to find solutions elsewhere, from eliminating chronic or injury-caused pain to avoiding surgery.
Dr. Leiva (with her new purple hair) provides a variety of exercises and yoga to help clients recovering from injuries or surgery regain their strength and full range of motion.
In part, she says, that’s because of her well-rounded education and doctorate in physical therapy, but also her background in both personal training and yoga.
“Prior to (physical therapy) school, with everything I’d studied, I had a lot of knowledge,” she says. “I thought being a DPT would make me stand out as a personal trainer.”
She says her goal was to open a gym and have her business focus on personal training and yoga, and that she never considered being a DPT in a hospital or other traditional setting. She also had a drive to finish what she had started after facing so much personal adversity.
But, what Dr. Leiva also found was that she fell in love with physical therapy, too. Now, she says most of her business is physical therapy.
She says her specialty is neuromuscular re-education, such as treating a spinal cord injury or an athlete’s torn tendon, or helping people recover from surgery.
“We make the body its most functional form possible, whether you’re paralyzed, or an elite athlete, or anywhere in between,” she says. “Anybody can become their best self by training their nervous system. We can strengthen everyone’s muscles, whether they have pain or not.”
The ExerScience Center offers memberships, where patients spend an hour each week at the center, working on different modalities. This may include biohacking — which she describes as tapping into your own biology to manipulate certain variables for optimal results — or electrical stimulation, vibration therapy, infrared sauna, halotherapy (aka salt therapy), or other types of treatment.
The center offers the latest technology in PT, including a machine called the Neubie by NeuFit, a patented electrical stimulation device to help re-educate your neuromuscular system.
Perhaps most important of all, she says, is that she treats everyone with empathy, respect and honesty. “We respect the body and the mind,” she says. “‘No pain, no gain’ does not apply in my center.”
To help patients who can’t afford regular memberships, Dr. Leiva also hosts community clinics once a month with opportunities for low-cost physical therapy evaluations and second opinions.
In February, Dr. Leiva says she will become certified in dry needling (similar to acupuncture, but used by physical therapists). “I’m an innovative therapist,” she says, “and I think it’s important to always be learning all of the newest and best therapeutic methods. So, I am always studying, always learning.”
Melenda Watzke has been a patient of The ExerScience Center for several months.
“I’m a dancer, and I hurt my back,” Melenda says. “I live about 45 minutes away, but that first time I met with Dr. Leiva, I knew the drive was worth it.”
Melenda says she’s seen a lot of change in her body, and not only has she been healed from her pain, but Dr. Leiva has treated other problems that Melenda didn’t know she had.
“She’s very intuitive and she listens,” says Melenda. “She looks at you holistically and listens to everything you say.”
In fact, Melenda says she had no idea that she didn’t know how to breathe properly. “No one pulls you aside and says, “This is how you breathe,’” Melenda explains. “But, she doesn’t assume you know anything. She watches, and then she starts correcting.”
Melenda says the instruction has helped her to dramatically reduce stress.
“She is truly a healer in my eyes,” says Melenda. “After my back pain went away, I just kept going and everything is starting to change on me physically. I didn’t know how weak I was in certain places because I’m so strong in other places. I can’t wait to see what we’re going to work on next.”
Gazelle Stevens is another happy patient of Dr. Leiva’s. She has been going to The ExerScience Center for about two months.
“I’ve had a great experience,” she says, as Dr. Leiva has treated her for pain stemming from several herniated disks in her back and neck, and a labral tear in her hip.
“I’m a fitness instructor, so it’s very taxing on my body when I have these issues and I can’t teach,” Gazelle says. “I had tried a bunch of other methods and nothing was helping. But, I felt a huge difference (with Dr. Leiva) within the first two weeks.”
Gazelle says she’s done physical therapy at other offices, but it’s been totally different, and that she gets much more individual attention at The ExerScience Center.
“Dr. Lauren is very knowledgeable, and also very understanding, from that patient perspective,” explains Gazelle. “She understands what it means to be in pain and not get answers. I try to be more holistic, with a wellness approach, not, ‘give me a shot’ or ‘give me surgery.’ A lot of people are in that mindset, and she’s really good for that.”
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, The ExerScience Center has paused all in-person group fitness classes and switched the focus to online classes. The staff follows all cleaning and precautionary procedures set in place by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention, as well as state and county guidelines. The center does not currently accept walk-ins, and anyone with an appointment is screened, including a temperature check, before they come in.
The ExerScience Center staff includes not only Dr. Leiva, but also office manager Elizabeth Sanchez, and receptionists Marilu Sanchez (not related to Elizabeth) and Jennifer Barrett.
Dr. Lauren Leiva is married to Jonathan, who owns Leiva’s Jewelry in New Tampa. Their two sons are Elijah, who is 13, and Alexander Joseph, who is four.
The ExerScience Center is located at 24706 S.R. 54, in Lutz, less than two miles west of the Tampa Premium Outlets. For more information, call (813) 803-7070, see the ad on pg. 23, or visit TheExerScienceCenter.com.
