Soul to Table: Chef Michael Ayoub & His Seeds of Love

In the restaurant business, trends come and go like harvests every year. But there are those special folks who embody something deeper—a soul-deep love for what they do beyond their day to day business. One of them is Chef Michael Ayoub, the visionary behind New York City’s artisanal pizza revolution and owner of Fornino.

From his three restaurants to his careful cultivation of Midnight Roma black sauce tomatoes, every aspect of Michael’s work reflects his interests and values. The greenhouse that started small in his first restaurant. The transition to growing at his Southampton home. The integration of glass art into garden design. These aren’t business decisions—they’re expressions of a creative spirit that keeps evolving.

At Michael’s home in Southampton, you’ll witness something magical: a living testament to passion transformed into art. His kitchen garden, also known as a “potager” (from the French jardin potager) grows 20 different varieties of tomatoes, some from seeds collected during travels around the world. And some from farms like Green Thumb in Water Mill.

Some of his favorite tomatoes have quirky names like “Girl’s Weird Thing,” “Chupa Chups,” “Linda’s Faux” and “Aunt Gertie’s Giant Green.” But those are just the beginning — he’s also growing asparagus, leeks, beets, lettuces, strawberries, herbs and more, all organic and destined for his restaurants.”

“Planting a seed is believing in tomorrow,” Michael says. This philosophy has guided him since childhood, when he first discovered his love of gardening. What makes his approach extra special isn’t just his garden — it’s his understanding that food is love. Those plants don’t just feed restaurant guests; they nourish a network of friends, family and strangers who become part of his extended community. Once someone receives a tomato plant from Michael, they’re “permanently on his list” — a commitment that speaks to his understanding of food as connection. I was invited into his secret tomato collective and I have to say I’m both humbled and excited.

Michael’s artistry doesn’t end at food. He has mastered glass blowing, working primarily at Pier Glass in Red Hook and Urban Glass in the BAM-Downtown Brooklyn Cultural District. The transition from sugar blowing — a delicate culinary art—to glass blowing came after landing a first place international prize.

“Food is the most destructive of all the arts. Glass represents permanence compared to food, which you take time to make and then watch it disappear in the blink of an eye,” he says. “A glass sculpture is long lasting and offers reflection.” Walk through his garden and you’ll see vegetables and flowers growing right next to his glass sculptures — it’s like a living gallery where things that fade away live alongside things that last forever.

Michael is driven by a passion to nourish others. “As a chef, I feel a deep responsibility when cooking for others,” he shares, comparing it to “the trust placed in a mother’s milk.” He is proof that when we bring our whole selves to our work — our obsessions, our artistry, our capacity for love—we don’t just build businesses. We create experiences that feed the soul as much as the body.

Michael reminds us that the magic isn’t in the brand or the strategy — it’s in the person who wakes up each morning excited to make something beautiful for others, whether it grows in the garden or flows from molten glass. He understands what our fast-paced world often forgets: that true hospitality is an art form, and the greatest art comes from love.

Chatting with Michael and seeing his garden made me wonder if my own gardening dreams might actually be possible. Maybe somewhere in the midst of all the chaos, there’s peace, reflection, and love waiting for me in the garden too.

Elaine LaPersonerie, founder of Wink PR and passionate food enthusiast, writes about the magic that happens when love, your intentions, and good company come together at the table.