I'm all for a good sandwich with delicious sauces, but how are you supposed to eat this? I would argue it's not a sandwich once the bread is too soaked to pick up. It's not even about getting your hands wet and gross, which is bad enough, but the real problem is the lower slice won't have any structural integrity. Shits gonna fall apart and all into your lap.
Instead, I recommend using a knife and fork so you can chop it up like a salad, and it can complete the set as a "soup sandwich salad."
Sort of....
Depending on the company and setting, perhaps. But they can still be eaten with hands, provided there's a napkin and preferably a little water around, afterwards.
As someone who grew up in Philly, we have a local/regional sandwich that's a whole lot messier than that Chicago one. I think once or twice in my life did I see someone eating it with a knife and fork, and I suspect they were from out of town.
Cheesesteak, bingo. A greasy, unhealthy steak sandwich with lots of cheese... or cheese-product, haha.
Never heard of pork & greens being a Philly thing, especially. Scrapple's pretty good when made right, sort of like smashed "homefry" potatoes, but the ingredients are kinda nasty, like hotdogs, etc.
The roast pork and broccoli rabe is my go to over the cheesesteak every time I’m in Philly. I can’t remember the name but there’s a place at Reading Terminal Market that has one I dream about
I have not had the Torta, but I've eaten the other two and they weren't soaked in soup. I also like a good french dip, but there you dip the bread a little at a time.
I'll tell you what I tell my 3½ year old and five year old: "Lean your chin over your plate [god-damnit!]." (The god-damnit is said quietly in my head, lol.)
I always have a plate and eat above it no matter how structurally sound my sandwich is. Crumbs and little bits always find themselves falling off. I highly recommend it.
I don't think my mental image of a chicken sandwich is the same as yours, but I do enjoy an open faced tuna melt, which I find is easier to eat with a knife and fork. But I don't really consider that a sandwich, either. It's more like chipped beef on toast, which I suppose you could argue is also a sandwich.
I'm not really sure what you're asking or where the dichotomy is. Are you referring to a specific type of chicken sandwich in your region which is typically eaten with utensils? Because I have never in my life seen or heard of someone eating a chicken sandwich with utensils. I'm sure there are people who don't like getting their fingers messy who do so, but they are the odd ones out.