Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership

FORM 3	UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0104 Expires: February 28, 2011 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5
	Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person ^*
Harker Victoria D
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (MM/DD/YYYY) 11/2/2009
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
DARDEN RESTAURANTS INC [DRI]

(Last)        (First)        (Middle)
1000 DARDEN CENTER DRIVE
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
__ X __ Director                            _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below)          _____ Other (specify below)

(Street)
ORLANDO, FL 32837

(City)              (State)              (Zip) 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YYYY)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
_ X _ Form filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security
(Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned
(Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivate Security
(Instr. 4) 2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(MM/DD/YYYY) 3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4) 4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5) 6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 5)

Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

Remarks:
No securities are beneficially owned. -----
poaharkerv.TXT

No securities are beneficially owned.

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships

Director 10% Owner Officer Other

Harker Victoria D
1000 DARDEN CENTER DRIVE
ORLANDO, FL 32837 X

Signatures

Douglas E. Wentz, Attorney-in-fact for HARKER, VICTORIA D. 11/3/2009

^** Signature of Reporting Person Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).

** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints each of Paula J. Shives, William R. White, III, C. Bradford Richmond, Valerie Collins and Douglas E. Wentz, signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's capacity as a current or retired officer and/or director of Darden Restaurants, Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder ("Section 16"), and Form 144 pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended ("Rule 144");

(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4, or 5, or Form 144, complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file such form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Stock Exchange and any other stock exchange or similar authority; and

(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted. The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16 and Rule 144.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 and Form 144 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be executed as of this 2nd day of November, 2009.

Signature: /s/ Victoria Harker
Print name: Victoria Harker

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

*Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned ( e.g.* , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)**
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YYYY)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivate Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security		6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)

Reporting Owners
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Reporting Owner Name / Address	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Harker Victoria D 1000 DARDEN CENTER DRIVE ORLANDO, FL 32837	X

Signatures
Douglas E. Wentz, Attorney-in-fact for HARKER, VICTORIA D.		11/3/2009
^** Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note:	File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.