oh pookie. you've come to the right place!!! i was eating in restaurants two weeks after surgery, for a wide range of reasons, mostly to do with MOM.
before the surgery, though, i went to a couple of places where i'd eaten often and told them what i was doing, and asked if they'd puree some soup for me. they ALL said that they'd do whatever i needed, and they were wonderfully supportive.
afterwards, i didn't need food pureed. thank goodness. but for awhile, i stuck with soft fish: flounder, sole, salmon.
and YES. doggie bags are a fact of life. take a cooler in the car with you if you're continuing on somewhere. OR eat with someone who will split an entree with you. OR go the appetizer route. but a word about appetizers: with the emphasis on getting your protein in, sometimes appetizers aren't the way to go. a shrimp cocktail is fine [once you move from soft foods to firmer foods], but starting with a salad is not a good idea [you get too full too fast and don't have room for your protein!!!!]
and forget the bread basket. move it as far away from yourself as possible, even off the table!!!!
my strategy <and believe me, everyone has a different approach>: if i'm with a bunch of people, i try to get them to share a couple of appetizers. and then i have a little. otherwise, i don't order them. and then i pick an entree that i'm willing to eat for a couple of days. yes. you read right. i have yet to run into a restaurant meal that doesn't last me for AT LEAST 3 meals [dinner plus two more].
except maybe a small lobster.
i have always tended to eat my salad last, and that works just fine here...
but remember: if something you eat at home doesn't settle right, don't order it when you're out!!!! especially at first, it's smart to eat something tried and true, until you figure out what's working and what's not... i've tossed in restaurants all over new jersey... and a couple in NYC.
