I got you on the regional thing.
For instance:
We vacation in the southern end of North Carolina(Topsail Island for anyone in the know), which is right across the inter coastal waterway from camp lajeune in Jacksonville NC. Anyways, we went to this famous BBQ place all the marines go to. I was not impressed because of all the "bark", and the heavy, heavy sauce on the meat. All I could taste was smoke, and BBQ sauce. I missed the meat flavor.
So YES region has a lot to do with how you cook BBQ.
