PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- First it was the New Jersey Turnpike and an audit showing millions of your dollars being wasted.

Now the I-Team is uncovering questionable expenses by Pennsylvania Turnpike executives. All at a time when they've approved raising tolls as much as 10 percent next year.

I-Team Reporter Jim Osman uncovers "Highway High Rollers."

Stephen Starr's Buddakan is considered one of Philadelphia's finest restaurants. Who would pass up a chance to eat here if someone else is picking up the tab?

Top Pennsylvania Turnpike executives didn't pass up the chance.

They've spent $805 of your turnpike money dining at Buddakan since 2008, including $242 for a dinner meeting charged to a turnpike credit card for Chief Executive Officer Joe Brimmeier and Chief Operating Officer George Hatalowich.

We found a $157 meal for a dinner meeting at the swanky Palm restaurant in Center City and a $188 bill at the Rittenhouse restaurant "Parc."

We even found a $1,150 bill charged on a Pennsylvania turnpike credit card to take nine people to a dinner meeting to lobby lawmakers in Harrisburg.

"If these people were being responsible about it they would think about the people paying the tolls and where the money is coming from," said Zach Stalberg, who heads the government watchdog group called Committee Of Seventy.

Stalberg says the spending on meals is hard to justify.

"It appears terrible to average folks," said Stalberg. "They don't feel like their paying public people to take themselves out to expensive dinners."

The I-Team reviewed thousands of records and got an eye-popping total for these meals.

CEO Brimmeier racked up $5,477 for lunch and dinner meetings since 2008. And the chief operating officer's total was $12,727. There's an additional $1,888 in charges for meals by some turnpike commissioners.

It's a $20,000 tab during the last two years.

We asked Brimmeier if some people would say the spending is appropriate.

"I believe it is appropriate," replied Brimmeier.

The CEO says the lunches and dinners were for business purposes and to meet with vendors or consultants. And in some cases, the meals were just for turnpike executives to discuss business.

Dinners at the Palm and Buddakan would be considered high-end restaurants by many consumers.

"I'm not sure they're high-end places, they might be middle of the road places," said Brimmeier.

Two of those expensive meals at Buddakan occurred just weeks after the economy collapsed in 2008.

When asked if dining at those restaurants could be perceived as being a little tone deaf in light of the economy.

"If we want to completely shut down our operation, yes, but we were trying to move this agency and the economy forward at the same time," Brimmeier said.

Many people we spoke with just aren't buying it and thought dining at expensive restaurants was wrong.

There is nothing illegal about the dinners as long as business is discussed.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike's CEO says running the turnpike is like running a big business.

But critics say there's a big difference between a private company and a public agency.

Reported By: Jim Osman, CBS 3