Alex McCoy

What was the first dish you perfected?

If you asked my mom, it was called Basil Toast, and it was cheddar cheese and basil on a piece of toast, when I was 6, and that was like my go-to.

All About Alex

Alex's Photos

Alex's Week 9 Exit

The ninth finalist eliminated from the competition, Alex made his mark on the judges as well as fans and his fellow finalists as being a passionate traveler and a solid cook. But when it came to Alex's presentations, Bobby said that the rival's final presentation left the panel bored, and that ultimately cost him the contest.

A Deconstructed Dish

Each finalist was given a journal to use during his or her time in the competition, and Alex filled his with reflections on the challenge and recipe ideas. Here he penned a drawing of the first dish he presented to the judges, a chorizo-pork belly sandwich. "Bread, bread, bread!" he wrote. "Get something crispy and chewy."

Early Growth

Though the mentors weren't impressed by Alex's clunky sandwich, they were pleased to see he'd made strides in his camera work, even within the first week, as Giada explained, "We gave him feedback and he sort of delivered on it."

Asian Influences

The name of the game in Episode 2 was baking, and once again, Alex looked to his past travel experiences to inspire his dish, Banh Xeo Crepe, filled with raisins. "Slam dunk," guest judge Alex Guarnaschelli said.

Crab Cakes That Weren't

Breaking down the process of concocting a crab cake, Alex said this was "easy," noting simply after only a few steps, "Boom — done!" Unfortunately for him, the judges didn't get to taste his crab cake sandwich; in a challenge meant to whet the mentors' appetites through a food photo, Alex covered up the critical middle of his sandwich, and all that's visible was the bun.

Highs and Lows

In true roller coaster fashion, Alex's performance at the Week 3 Star Challenge — the dinner party with Geoffrey Zakarian and Sunny Anderson — was both successful and a flop. While his "waiter"-like presentation wasn't impressive, his raw appetizer, a crudo with tuna, was far more successful. "I like the coconut there," Bobby said of the ingredient's presence in Alex's dish.

Stealing the Stage

Come Episode 4, there was no question that Alex's chicken sandwich wowed the panel at the July 4th cookout, but the way he described it, using unfamiliar terms and several Japanese words — left something to be desired. Plus, his presentation took up so much of his team's allotted time that Eddie was forced to cut him off in order to talk for just a few seconds. "We know a lot about Japan at this point and nothing about Eddie," fellow teammate Arnold noted.

Sandwich, Side Shot

Alex forfeited his beloved Chinese five-spice powder and accepted Dom's favorite ingredient — ricotta — instead in Week 5. In keeping with his sandwich point of view, he used the Italian cheese in what he called a "smoked salmon tea sandwich" in his journal. Here he drew photos of the sandwich's cross section, showcasing its layer of cucumber, salmon and ricotta.

Better Together: Alex and Eddie

The Star Challenge at Patina Restaurant was all about delivering fusion and harmony on a plate, and Alex and Eddie indeed delivered, both in their banh mi sandwich and in their performance while working on the same team. "This is like a bromance banh mi," guest judge Anne Burrell said.

Searching for a Laugh

At the comedy club in Episode 6, Alex delivered a performance that was surely memorable — though perhaps not for the best reasons. His use of inappropriate curse words shocked the judges, and he ran out of time mid-demo. "I literally did nothing that they asked me to do," Alex admitted. Once again, though, his food was a success, especially considering its oddball requirements: chicken livers, caramel squares, the color blue and dinner.

Presentation Matters

In Week 7, Alex presented a speedy brunch item — "chipped beef on toast," he said — in honor of his late father, who had an affinity for the dish. But no matter how touching his story was, the judges couldn't look past the plate's unpleasant presentation. "When I think of brunch, I think of something a little bit prettier," Giada told him.

The Hottest Hot Slap

In keeping with the portable-eats theme of Week 7, guest judge Richard Blais tasked the finalists with working in teams to dish out food truck offerings, and Alex and Dom paired up on the taco truck. They were set on taking their concept of Hot Slap Tacos quite literally, by slapping each other across the face as they dug into whole jalapenos with abandon. "It's insanity, but it's a funny concept," Bobby said.

Substantial Gains

Week 8 proved to be a strong showing for Alex, as his Middle Eastern-inspired burger in the Mentor Challenge, as well as his brand-in-a-box presentation was well-received by Bobby and Giada. "I needed this so much," he said proudly. He won that challenge, which earned him an advantage in the next Star Challenge.

All-American Alex

Thanks to Alex's success with the burger in the Mentor Challenge, he was able to select first which holiday he wanted to work with to produce his special episode. He chose 4th of July, explaining, "This is the perfect holiday for sandwiches." Once again that week, Alex wowed the Committee with his presentation, as Susie Fogelson noted, "Rip the top off the Jeep, ice-cold beers — I wanted to go."

Lessons in Live TV

In what would ultimately be Alex's final week in the competition, the theme of the day was live television, and he was challenged to demo a one-pot date-night dish with guest judge Catherine McCord. "It's a disaster," Alex said after a bumpy performance that caught him running out of time.

Summer Live

It was up to Alex to deliver a family reunion-ready dish for his segment on Summer Live, the ensemble live TV show he worked on with Eddie, Jay and Arnold. Here he jotted down a few ideas the guys came up with during their brainstorming session.

Why Soup?

Though soup may have been present at the one family reunion Alex ever attended in Indonesia, the judges found it peculiar that he decided to serve ramen, a hot noodle bowl, at a summertime event. "Nothing says summer like a hot bowl of bacon ramen," guest judge Katie Lee joked.

Goodbye to Alex

No matter his strength in the kitchen, and the fact that the judges were pleased with his ramen's taste, the panel said goodbye to Alex on account of his inconsistent deliveries. "This is hard for me to say to you, but we got bored," Bobby told him. "We weren't learning anything about you or we weren't learning anything about the dish. It just didn't have any rhyme or reason."

One-on-One with Alex

Hear from Alex in his first exclusive exit interview to learn his thoughts on the contest.

Go Behind the Scenes

Get an insider's look at the making of the show, and see how the cast spends its time between takes.

Want More Food Network Star?

Check out Food Network Star headquarters for more photos, plus exclusive interviews, top video clips and insider coverage of the competition.

On Tonight