Blissfully unaware Boston sports fans Ayo Edebiri and Seth Meyers took viewers on a trip through New England history on Thursday’s episode of “Late Night.”
After chatting about their hopes for the Red Sox taking on the Yankees in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series — not knowing Boston would go on to lose, since the segment was filmed before Thursday’s game took place — Meyers and Edebiri turned their attention to the immediately defunct New England ice cream treat, the Cool Dog.
The last time Edebiri was on “Late Night,” the Dorchester native went viral for chatting with Meyers about her affection for the hot dog-shaped dessert, which she called “foul” but “perfect” at the time, explaining that she would get them as a kid at Boston sports games. The namedrop sparked renewed interest in Cool Dog, although the treat has long since been discontinued, and is no longer sold in stores or at high-profile venues like Fenway Park.
On last night’s show, Meyers, a New Hampshire native, praised Edebiri for getting people to talk about the beloved New England dessert again, noting that when he tried to look up Cool Dog history online, the first things that popped up were articles about his chat with Edebiri on the topic.
“Like you were one of the only people who is bringing attention to the Cool Dog,” Meyers said.
“Well, everybody needs a cause,” Edebiri joked, later quipping that she’s “the Malala for ice cream hot dogs.”
And on the eve of Edebiri’s 30th birthday on Friday, Meyers and his staff gifted “The Bear” star with a homemade version of the Cool Dog courtesy off the late-night host’s prop department.
“It was so good,” Edebiri said.
Boston lore came up again while the actress was talking about her time on “The Bear,” explaining that the show lets her tap into her nerdy side a bit.
“I am just like a complete nerd in my heart of hearts, as evidenced by the times that I’ve spoken to you about Cool Dogs and the Great Molasses Flood,” Edebiri said.
“You really have drawn a lot of attention to sort of like some underappreciated Boston historical moments,” Meyers replied.
“I believe in local history. I don’t know what to tell you,” Edebiri responded. “I believe in it, against all odds.”
The Emmy-winning star, who’s also gotten the chance to write and direct on “The Bear,” added that she appreciates the show for supporting her love of learning.
“To be on a show that’s so supportive of that… it’s really special,” she said.
series the full interview below.
Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.
About the Author
