How would you have handled this?

Seriously. Two adults can enjoy a meal or an outing  and look off in age and demographic, I see it all the time being in DC! What does it matter to answer or even acknowledge the question? My guess is if the waiter was female, she was jealous, and if the waiter was a guy, he had an ongoing bet with the other waitstaff that you were at lunch with hooker. Lol. Why put you on the spot though? Ugh!

'We're friends'.

She is my parole officer.

She's my mother.... My father likes them young

Desertation is not necessary for a simple question. If you, you get in trouble.  

I'm out with my daughter. It's always been some young man and I believe he's wondering/hoping that he gets an answer that lets him feel it's ok to try and talk with her more.
    It's true that it's none of their business, a socially awkward question etc. But then I find many young people in their twenties today to be somewhat aggressive in how they socially interact or down right clueless. LOL I don't generally get bent out of shape about it. However, about a year ago I almost came to blows in Costco when a guy my age was overtly checking out my daughter and made an inappropriate comment to her. Some men are simply assholes when in the presence of a beautiful woman, or even not so beautiful.
                         
                                     Regards......RR

your gratuity is greatly dependent on the way you treat your guests.  Do you have a comment card for me to fill out?

Excellent reply! Puts them in their place while educating them at the same time.
             
                         Regards.......RR

of discussion is your restaurant's rating.  Anything you'd like to add?"

Or did you mean dissertation? Not that it matters, as the rest of your post was unintelligible as well.

Sounds like something a gay man would ask his customer.

I truly do not think he was trying to be inappropriate. I think that was his settle way of saying that he noticed the awkwardness of your meeting & That you should relax a little and act as if you are with someone who you'd normally get together with.

turned to my date and asked her what she wanted to drink.  That would be followed by my drink order to the waiter.  He does not deserve an answer to his question.  And, yes, it would affect his tip.

Or even "We are just 2 friends getting together".

Most guys view woman(Regardless of how beautiful she is) as a "Fuck Object". Excuse the Language. When we are much more then that. We don't just get a man off sexually, but we also provide a stimulating time outside of the bed. Ignorance is a huge factor her. Most see a site like this as just for sex. When there is very little to no difference between this site and a site such as "Sugar Daddy For Me".  In sites like this you are dishing out cash for what you want from the female. Most guys won't even admit that. Think about it. 50% of the guys on the "Sugar Daddy For Me" site offer to get the female a manicure/pedicure, Fly them out or give them an "Allowance" for what she provides for him.

it was funny we both mentioned wedding rings.

"Who the fuck are you; my mother?

Have you ever seen the Rabbis on the news?

What tip? That ship sailed when he decided to be Dr Phil.  

When someone asks me a question that I either feel is none of their business and/or I simply don't wish to answer, I turn it back on them with another question and they are usually flummoxed and confused.....

They seem clueless to the concept of compensation for time,  the guys I talk to think providers show up just to hangout,  no compensation necessary. I guess some providers will hang out for free, but I would assume their is no playtime involved.

I'm not sure if that's always the case, but they seem to be gossipy when it comes to relationships... Think beauty parlor talk.

I see you think all gay men are waiters.

I'm moving on to a more interesting discussion. :d

Zangari, friend, do not bother with this guy.

My long time regular is in his 60s. We were out together and it was a favorite eatery of his as the waitress knew his name. She kept coming by and finally she went up to me and asked are you two seeing each other. I laughed and said no! We aren't seeing each other! We are just sleeping together and laughed more. I went on, truth be told I am not sure his first name. When you bring the check, can I see it? I should at least know the name of the guy that I'm screwing. More laughter. The look on her face was priceless. We left and he couldn't believe that I said that though he was laughing too. I said baby it's not her business plus I liked the shocked look on her face. He was very very extremely turned on by this and I found him suddenly turning quickly into the garage that led to his home. lol.  

inquired if he was either gay or straight.

and Dr. joe nailed it!

"I'm her pool boy",  I think many of us know where that one comes from.  Thanks LR for those that don't.

he might spit on your food

Inappropriate question?
Yeah, but no harm intended, so not really a big deal.
As a few others have said, just say you are friends and move the conversation along.
No need to be snarky or an ass over something so trivial IMO.

I agree Jaye, nobody's business but the two that are out together.

Great answer Nick! It takes a certain amount of maturity to  convey "none of your fucking business" in such a subtle, yet unmistakable manner.

Very good answer.

…”Thank you for asking.” (Now I agree with some that it’s a nosey question for a waiter to ask, but it is non-threatening and you also show that you’re courteous and respectful to the woman you’re with—especially if you do not know her very well to be funny, outrageous and at worse, reciprocate with a rude comment.)  Then ask the waiter, “Can we have menus please?” Or if menus in hands, ask for house specials or recommendations, seasonal foods or anything that pertains to what the restaurant offers, which puts the ball back in the waiters court, so to speak, for him to focus on doing his job, which he should be doing in the first place. (If there is any small talk initiated by wait staff, it is to talk about weather or something non-personal, then do the job you were hired to do.)

All I said was "it would affect his tip."  Consider that may mean either reduce it or even eliminate it.

The former is more likely.
He saw an opurtunity to make small talk due to your age difference.
My guess is. Either way. He assumed you would be flattered by his noticing your cute company.
Maybe it's your daughter. Maybe it's your workmate. Maybe it's your escort?
Maybe it's a girl you picked up on the street.

It's fun.

She's my fuckbuddy, whats it to you pal?

When I met my first SB, we were at a cafe and at the end of the hour of getting to know you talk, we turned to the "arrangement" part of the deal and right as I was laying out what I would offer, the waitress came up and asked us if we wanted a dessert menu.  I don't know if she actually heard anything, but it became a standing joke with the SB and me.

Aren't you now doing the same thing?

Folks, I appreciate all the thoughtful replies.  I especially liked the "She's my parole officer."  among many others.

I like where you are going

I have been to dinners, lunches, activities, and all sorts of public places and events with escorts much younger than me. I have also done similar things with family members, friends, and colleagues, who were the opposite sex and different in age. I was never asked about our relationship status. However one time, a couple years ago, on a walk through a shopping mall to our car, after an OTC lunch with a retired provider who I was still friends with, we were asked. It was one of those kiosks in the mall where pushy sales people try to grab your attention. A hispanic gal with a strong accent tried to interest me in some jewelry for my "daughter," then she looked at my friend and asked "Your daddy?" while pointing at me. My friend said, "My sugar daddy! But we're late, we gotta go." Then she grabbed my hand and led me away. It was funny because prior to that we were just walking near each other and talking, but after making the sugar daddy comment, she held my hand for a few steps, then put her hand on my back and shoulder.

While with a escort. Still banging the waitress.

Keep in mind that, were it not the case that you happened to be out with a provider 30 yrs your junior and, you felt uncomfortable when asked......the question itself is benign.  

My dear lady I do believe I just fell in love with you!  Awesome sense of humor!

"Why do you want to hang out with a provider if you are not prepared to have sex with her? "

You are a pussy.
You should have shown dominance... You didn't...
You are the keyboard warrior. I'm just being honest.

It's intrusive and stupid.  No waiter with any sense should be asking about the personal relationships of the people he/she is serving.

re's a couple of really bad ideas being tossed around on this thread:  

I think everyone would have a little more fun if we didn't have to take ourselves so seriously..
After all.. This is a fuck board.
Or has it become the inquisition in my absence?
If so. Forgive me good lord before you pour burning oil over me.
Wait. I may like that. But only if the hockey player watches.

with companions for a similar reason.  I actually am close in age to many of the ladies I see, but I usually perceive a large discrepancy in attractiveness.  On my best day I'm probably a 5 and I often see a lady I would consider an 8 or higher.  As others have said, most people people don't notice or don't care who spends time together.  However, I would just rather avoid an awkward situation by spending my time with her and only her.  We probably could go out for dinner or drinks without so much as a hiccup, but there are some people out there that just can't let it go when they see something that is strange to them.

I know why "the guys I talk to" want to hang out with providers, and it's not because providers are wonderful people.

I've never seen a gay man portray a gay man in a positive light in the media. The LGBT community should demand that they are portrayed in a positive fashion on television and in movies.

They are obsessed with the appearance of the opposite sex, the one's I know are. The heartthrobs they obsess over are just fantasies, because the guys they are actually with are average looking.

"Just two people who enjoy dining together" With a big, happy smile.

…a stripper at a restaurant (wasn't planning on it that night but that’s how it turned out). She nonchalantly tells the bartender that she’s a stripper and met me at the club she works at down the street. Talk about being discreet.

And, the end of your second point, I agree it’s stupid, but moral judgment and prejudice are still out there where street smarts can work to advantage when in public and at business establishments.  

I am pretty superficial when it comes to looks in a person.  No reason I should settle for something unattractive to look at, same as a guys shouldn't have to either in P4P or real life.

sooo many places.......................

that waiter was lookin down his dam nose at you all.  
well suprise surprise, as it turns out when you lean a little closer, roses really smell like poo!

Do I require a good looking john to do my job...no. Part of what I am being paid for is to overlook that.  

If the OP had been with his daughter, or....anyone other than a provider much younger than him....the question would have gone unnoticed.

These days there are many positive portrayals of LGBTQ people in the media----by actors---men and women---gay and straight.  

Which has it attributes; why go through life being a phony? Point taken.  

Okay, to be fair I was concerned with what the waiter would think through gossip, but applied it the OP’s situation where it can lead to the OP not only getting the best vibe with his date but also best service from the waiter. So what if OP said she was his daughter (and you stick to that “under pressure” explanation?) because that lead to great service and made it great fun for the OP. Also, it’s not like the waiter is going to disappear anyway, as he has a right to be there and check on customers because that is his job. (To repeat: My angle is that I would want little involvement from the waiter—and to be clear—I wouldn't care what he thought, but I would care if it affected the service. Then again I said that my date and I were friends, thanked the waiter—not making waves because it was unimportant—and hopefully he provided great service.)