A Report From Beetle House, Casella in the Catskills, and More Intel

— To kick off this Friday in late April, here is a report from a reader named Justin about Beetle House, the new Tim Burton-themed bar on East Sixth Street:

As I walked into Beetle House last night, Beetlejuice was leading a sing-a-long of "Shake, Shake, Shake Senora" to a very happy crowd. I thought we hit the jackpot, walking in at the perfect time - but no, they played the song three times during the 20 minutes we were there. In between, they played instrumentals apparently from the Beetlejuice score, which isn't exactly fun music to have on while hanging out with friends.

I can't comment on the food or cocktails as most weren't available, but the menu was hard to read and somewhat pricey for the area. The bartender and staff seemed super friendly and the guy playing Beetlejuice was great, however.

The bar is in preview mode right now. Cash and reservations-only, for the moment.

— Cesare Casella, the chef who helemed the Salumeria Rosi restaurants, has decamped to the Catskills, where he plans to open a salami factory/butcher shop. The chef's new business, dubbed Casella's, is located at 210 Main Street in Hurleyville. Cesare is aiming for U.S. Department of Agriculture certification, so that he can sell his sausages to restaurants. If everything goes according to plan, Casella's will open at the end of the year. He announced his departure from Salumeria Rosi last October.

— Gee Whiz Diner in Tribeca is downsizing because of a rent hike. Tribeca Citizen notes that the Warren Street side of the space is turning into another storefront for rent.

— The Herald Square location of Shake Shack (pictured above) looks just about ready to rock and roll. No word yet on an exact opening date, but Eater has reached out to Shack HQ for more details.

— Film Forum has extended the run of Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream, a documentary about the Streit's matzo factory on Rivington Street. After a succesful first-week run, it's screening at the theater till May 10.

— The goofballs at Vinny's made an all-pizza pizza box:

It's $40, although owner Sean Berthiaume hasn't figured out how to package it for delivery yet.

— Ian Schrager has agreed to work with filmmakers Matt Tyrnauer (Valentino: The Last Emperor) and John Battsek (Searching for Sugarman) on a new documentary about Studio 54. The club owner-turned-hotelier tells Page Six: ""Only two people in the world really know the true story — Steve Rubell and me. Sadly, Steve is not here to tell it. As Berry Gordy once said, ‘If the hunter does not tell his story, the lion will.' I'm sick of all of the false stories by lions, and I'm thrilled to finally unseal the true story from the vault."

— Bar/venue Cake Shop has been closed for renovations recently, but the owners plan to reopen on May 5 with a new look, an expanded food menu, and a small selection of vinyl for sale.

— And finally, here's a look at Matryoshka, a great Russian restaurant attached to a bathhouse in the Financial District: