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.”
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.
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’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.
Not the same person, but all of the top results in a search for a sandwich not eaten with hands were posts relating to etiquette. Scrolling down, it did mention one sandwich (not the one you link anywhere on the page) but even that didn’t say in the summary that utensils were required.
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.”
I agreed that it’s losing its benefits of being a sandwich when soaked like that, but there are many sandwiches that are wet or require knife & fork.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torta_ahogada
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croque_monsieur
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_beef
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.
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.
What regional Philly sandwich? I’ve only had cheesesteak, pork & greens, and some scrapple breakfast thing. Not a fan of scrapple
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
You might be thinking of Dinics.
Yes!! That’s it
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.
If I did that, my dog wouldn’t love me anymore.
Well then you have no issues with this sandwich I guess 😄
I’d presume you’d eat it like a hot chicken sandwich, ie fork and knife.
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 have never heard of eating a chicken sandwich with a fork and knife, hot or otherwise.
Are we going back to definitions territory or are you willing to explore new ways of eating your food?
By the way, for the particular case of the chicken sandwich the knife might turn out to be handy if the chicken is alive ;)
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.
Just kidding. I don’t see nothing wrong eating with cutlery or getting your fingers sticky. Just a matter of preference.
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Not the same person, but all of the top results in a search for a sandwich not eaten with hands were posts relating to etiquette. Scrolling down, it did mention one sandwich (not the one you link anywhere on the page) but even that didn’t say in the summary that utensils were required.
I did look it up. The most common result I found was a hot Nashville style fried chicken sandwich, which is eaten with the hands.
You could seal the bread with cheese and toast it and you wouldn’t have that problem.
And you could totally still make it into a salad that way if you wanted, it would just have cheese croutons :)
I think I’d have the soup separate and dunk the sandwich liberally, but I can see spreading some on both pieces of bread first, too
Or thicken it so it’s more of a sauce then a soup…or if daring enough a spread.
I love this!