Eating in restaurants: Should I even think about it?

I’m not one to eat out much, but with the holidays here I’m thinking I might like to try.

Should I dare?

I’ve been a vegetarian (though not a vegan) for 25 years, which makes things even harder. I do still eat eggs, and I used to love cheese. Used to be easy enough to order a veggie burger or a veggie quesadilla or even a large salad.

Now it seems every menu item has at least one thing I’m avoiding. If I ask for that one thing to be left out, the dish would be ruined. Most restaurants here offer a salad of lettuce, tomato, cheese, croutons, and vinaigrette. Take away the no-no stuff and you have ... lettuce. Almost liking saying, “Omelet, please, and hold the eggs.”

I live in the rural Southwest United States (New Mexico). This place lives on greasy spoons, family diners, bar and grills, etc., that cater to rural meat-and-potatoes folks, so finding vegetarian anything is tough. Not to mention candida-friendly fare. Almost impossible!

So my question is: How do you decide among the lesser of two (or more) evils?

Would it be so bad to order a veggie wrap with all good stuff except the flour tortilla?

Or a veggie quesadilla and ask for yogurt or sour cream instead of cheddar cheese?

Would that be as bad as getting a veggie burger and eating the white bun and the mayo/ketchup?

Or what about an omelet with mushrooms? Are cooked mushrooms any better than raw ones?

If I must order a veggie sandwich, would my entire 7 months of anti-candida dieting be ruined by two slices of wheat bread?

I’m sure everyone is different. I’ve been afraid to stray too far for fear of relapsing. Am I being too strict? I’m not talking about eating out every day or week. I’m thinking once or twice a month max.

Thanks for any advice.