Photo one: A wild quail watches over its covey in Golden Gate Park last week. Photo two: the signature fried quail dish on the menu at State Bird Provisions.

Esteemed Chronicle Food Critic Michael Bauer deemed fried quail trendy when he spotted it popping up on menus around the Bay Area back in August. The wild quails, on the other hand, are reportedly limited to about a dozen in San Francisco County.

Photos: David Cruz and Yelper Kapo T.