JOHN DAY — Food is always a big part of any self-respecting county fair, and elephant ears just might be the ultimate fair food.

After all, where else can you treat yourself to a big ol’ slab of deep-fried dough smothered in tasty toppings?

At the Grant County Fair’s opening day on Wednesday, Aug. 7, there was a steady stream of customers at Supreme Elephant Ears & Funnel Cakes. 

Inside the bright yellow food cart, owners Brandon and Brandi Woolcott and employee Ali Jones settled into a comfortable rhythm as they worked to keep up with the demand.

The cart has been a fixture at the Grant County Fair for more than a decade now. The Woolcotts took over the operation two years ago, after serving a two-year apprenticeship under the previous owner, Brandon’s uncle.

At a tiny work counter in the back of the cart, Brandon pours out a big glob of batter and sets to work with a rolling pin to shape an elephant ear before dropping it in a deep-fryer full of hot oil.

“Our elephant ears are homemade,” he boasts, turning the dough in the fryer with a pair of kitchen tongs. “I make all the dough and roll ’em out by hand.”

“Everybody else uses frozen pizza dough,” Brandi chimes in.

“They just take ’em out of the box and throw ’em in the fryer,” her husband adds. “That’s why they don’t taste as good.”

The Veneta couple is cagey about exactly how their dough is made.

“It’s a secret family recipe,” Brandi insists.

OK, but how about a hint? What goes into these things that makes them so irresistible? Jones has a one-word, tongue-in-cheek answer to that question.

“Love,” she says.