Sure, food is important in selecting where you want to eat, but ambience is up there, too. Outerlands gets high marks on both accounts. The cozy Outer Sunset restaurant puts care into everything it presents — the driftwood counters and walls; the fresh bread, soups, and salads; and the soundtrack drifting out from the speakers. If you're an indie-rock fan with Pitchfork tastes, the owners always have the best selections playing at a volume that won't upset your dinner conversations. Savor your Côtes du Rhône and seafood stew as the ebullient albums by Real Estate, the Dodos, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Animal Collective, and other upbeat, weirdo pop and folk artists offer an invisible serenade. Best part of this kind of music: The artists aren't gonna come begging for dollar bills when they're done.