I too have many luncheons, cocktail parties, and client dinners/lunches to attend. I'm just beginning my pureed foods stage, so I'm finding it easier as I gone on. As they mentioned above, I suggest places more often now than I did in the past. This way I can plan what I'll order ahead of time. When hitting mexican, I've ordered Albondigas and eaten the broth and soft veggies or avocado. I had mexican yesterday at a luncheon. I ordered the cheese enchiladas and only ate the beans. I took the rest home. I had another lunch today, and previewed the menu prior to attending. I ate the meze plate (hummus, baba ganoush, etc.) and asked for crostini instead of the nan bread it came with. I ate only a few bites of the crunchy bread and ate the mashed with a fork. I'm finding that I'll order something that I can bring home to my son, that has at least one small thing I can eat. Haven't hit a cocktail party yet, but I'm guessing I'll put a few things I don't enjoy on my plate and grab some cheese (as they always have a cheese platter) and just nibble on that while I socialize. I feel your pain, but I think researching ahead of time is going to be key.