Photo: Brian Samuels

Opening a non-Italian restaurant in the North End may seem a bit risky, yet the team behind the recently opened North Square Oysters (5 North Square, 857-991-1930, northsquareoyster.com) likely isn’t concerned. After all, their other North End restaurant is the popular gastropub Ward 8, so serving up something a little different to neighborhood visitors has already proven a successful formula. Occupying a historic, two-story spot along the Freedom Trail, North Square Oysters lives up to its name with a wide array of creatively prepared fresh bivalves, along with lobster rolls, seafood stew and even steak and an enormous double cheeseburger for non-seafood-eating patrons.