Aaron Franklin is one of the biggest, most recognized names in barbecue and the wider food world. His restaurant has won every major barbecue award and has been in magazines ranging from GQ to Bon Appétit. The line to get into Franklin Barbecue is as long as ever, and the restaurant has sold out of brisket every day of its existence.

Jordan Mackay is a James Beard Award-winning writer on wine, spirits, and food. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Wine and Spirits, Food & Wine, and Gourmet, among others. He has co-authored four cookbooks: Passion for Pinot; Secrets of the Sommeliers, a James Beard Award winner; Two in the Kitchen; and Franklin Barbecue, which spent twelve weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.