A B777 FLT CREW DEPARTS WITH FAA INSPECTOR IN THE JUMP SEAT AND THERE IS AN MEL THAT WAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF PROPERLY.

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DURING TAXI OUT AT SFO; WE GOT AN EICAS MESSAGE. CALLED MAINT AND WERE TOLD TO DEFER IT PER MEL; WE DID. I REVIEWED THE OPS PLACARD AND DETERMINED THAT WE WERE OK TO GO. UPON REACHING CRUISE ALT; THE FAA ACR INSPECTOR RIDING THE JUMPSEAT WAS UNHAPPY WITH THE DEFERRAL; STATING THAT IT WAS AT LEAST INAPPROPRIATE IF NOT ILLEGAL SINCE THE MEL ITEM DISPLAY; WHICH I HAD NOT SEEN SINCE IT WAS FOLDED OVER AND HIDDEN FROM MY VIEW; STATES THAT A BREAKER MUST BE PULLED. HE ALSO POINTED OUT AN ERROR IN THE TEXT OF THE ORIGINAL WRITE-UP. HE ASSERTED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO THE GATE TO HAVE A MECH PERFORM THE REQUIRED TASKS. IF I WOULD HAVE SEEN THE MEL DISPLAY PRINTOUT PRIOR TO TKOF; I WOULD HAVE RECONTACTED MAINT TO ASCERTAIN THE LEGALITY OF THE DEFERRAL. UNFORTUNATELY; I DID NOT SEE IT UNTIL AFTER TKOF. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE FACT THAT MAINT ALLOWED US TO DEPART WITHOUT THE NECESSARY MAINT. WE; AS PLTS; HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TRUST MAINT. WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DOUBLECHK EVERYTHING THAT MAINT TELLS US. I CONTACTED THE MAINT SUPVR LATER WHO STATED 'THAT IS THE WAY WE HAVE DONE IT FOR A LONG TIME.' ADDITIONALLY; THE INSPECTOR EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT A PREVIOUS WRITE-UP BY ANOTHER CREW THAT STATED THAT THEY HAD RECYCLED A CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE ADVICE OF MAINT TO RESTORE A COM PANEL.