I am going into the city to see Jersey Boys with two elderly women who have a hard time walking. Therefore I need a restaurant very close to the theater. We were hoping for Chinese cuisine, but a moderately priced restaurant with good old American food would be fine also.

Jersey Boys plays at a theater on west 52nd Street, which is further north than most Broadway theaters. Lucky Chengs, a touristy Chinese restaurant with drag queens as the wait staff, is across the street. It's not known for its cuisine, but they might get a hoot out of the atmosphere. I know there's another Chinese restaurant near there on 8th avenue (I think between 52nd and 53rd), but I have never eaten there.

I think Lucky Cheng's is not a good idea. The Chinese place on 8th ave. Doug refers to is China Gourmet which gets bad reviews on menupages.com. There really is not much at all on the same block as the theater. There's a diner at the corner of 8th ave. called the Cosmic Diner (meh). There are 2 Russian places, Russian Samovar and Russian Vodka Room. Both are good but neither are inexpensive. The Novotel hotel is at the corner of 52 st & 7th ave. and has a restaurant Cafe Nicole, but that's not going to be great. You can have a look at the menu on menupages.com. Maybe the bar menu there would work.

I think the nearest place with the kind of menu you want is McHale's Bar around the corner on west 51 st. It's Irish pub fare (fish and chips, shepherd's pie, bagers &mash) but they also have burgers and sandwiches.

If you wanted a nicer reataurant with a good value 3 course dinner, Capiatl Grille in the Time Life building does a pre theater dinner for $39 that includes steak, salmon or lamb chops as entrees and it's very good. About a block from the theater.

The best Chinese restaurants in that area are Wu Liang Ye on W. 48th between 5th and 6th (up a small flight of stairs if that's an issue), and Szechuan Gourmet on W. 56th between Broadway and 8th. Really a cut above your ordinary joint. Enjoy dinner and the show!

What about Thalia at the corner of 8th Avenue and 50th Street, a 2 1/2-block walk from the theater? No, it's not Chinese, but the food on its varied menu is good!