Rays the Steaks or Bistrot Du Coin?

So a friend of mine is having a birthday soon and she is deciding between two birthday spots: Rays the Steaks and Bistrot du Coin. Rays is in Arlington,VA and Bistrot du Coin is in Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C.

Let us consider some factors essential to a birthday celebration.

Seating: Ray's wins this one. Although Bistrot du Coin squishes patrons capably into back-to-back tables (oh so French, and so professionally maneuvered by the waiters who are not there to be your friends, ah), Ray's goes for a more casual white-tablecloth experience, where you wait and then are seated with ample space for your chair.

Cost: This is a hard one because both of them offer superb food and value for the money. Bistrot du Coin does amazing things with duck, steak, fries, mussels, potatoes, and cheese. If you're feeling peckish, the small plates of salads, gratins, and a wonderous assortment of meats hover around $8 and will send you into butter coma before you can say "L'addition, s'il vous plait." The house steak and frites is less than $17, making it slightly cheaper than the offerings at Ray's. So on an absolute basis, Bistrot du Coin is cheaper by a few dollars generally.

HOWEVER, Ray's steaks are aged to perfection and, for what they are, are just astonishingly under-priced. A hangar steak is $17; few cuts are priced above $20. I would say that the quality of meat at Ray's is equivalent to what you'd find at a much pricier steakhouse. I have never sensed that meat had a "bouquet" until dining here. So there. Cost is not really a good point of comparison between these two gems.

Variety: Bistrot du Coin wins this one. By variety, I mean friendliness to vegetarians. Ray's is a steak house, with no need for apologies. There are concessions in the form of a salmon dish or two and shrimp offerings. Vegans need not apply. On the other hand, it is possible to accommodate vegetarians at Bistrot du Coin, but not vegans. In a proper Parisian kitchen there is no substitute for butter.

This attempt comparison has led me to conclude that both are worth eating at, and frequently if one's cholesterol will allow. That's why I'm going with my friend to whichever restaurant she DOESN'T go to for her birthday. Because sometimes you should have your cake and eat it, too.