 After working as a server on a cruise ship, Peter got his start in the United States as a waiter at Brooklyn's famous Peter Luger Steak House from 1971 to 1973, followed by stints at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel as food and beverage manager, and later at Regines in New York, also as food and beverage manager.In 1979, Peter was joined by Karl Zartler, who was his partner in the creation and operation of Vienna 79, a sixty-five seat fine dining restaurant located on 79th Street on New York’s Upper East Side.Vienna 79 was awarded four stars by food critic Mimi Sheraton, writing for The New York Times.