The world of barbecue is vast. It’s a tradition that has deep roots starting with Native American communities, and continued to proliferate through the stewardship of Black chefs, whose adaptations over the last few centuries have spawned regionally-specific barbecue styles across the country. From the tangy taste of Alabama white sauce to the mesquite-tinged meats of West Texas, every style of American barbecue comes with its own history, techniques and flavors. But what makes Kansas City-style barbecue special to Kansas City? And what separates good barbecue from great barbecue? As a food and travel journalist, kaelanisays wanted to dig in—literally—and learn more. To put her taste buds to the test, Kae Lani ate at three legendary Kansas City institutions –arthurbryantskc, gatesbbqkc and joeskc – all in a single day. Barbecue is personal, and judging what makes excellent barbecue can be pretty subjective. So before Kae Lani set out on her barbecue blitz, she spoke to Ardie A. Davi...