Having lived in and still visiting the south regularly, Providence (like most of New England) does not have bbq that is comparable in terms of quality and price to what you would find in GA, NC or Memphis (never made it to KC).

If I were in your shoes, unless the hankering for BBQ is irresistible, I would seek out what PVD excels at and may not (again have not been) be as readily available in KC.

I saw that your partner does not love seafood, there are plenty of other options Portuguese, Bolivian/Peruvian, Italian…