B737 CAPT FLEW A TRIP AFTER THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED HIM THERE WAS AN OPEN MAINT ITEM IN THE CABIN LOGBOOK.

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THIS WAS THE FIRST LEG OF A 4-DAY TRIP. AS WE MADE THE CREW INTRODUCTIONS AND CREW BRIEFINGS WITH THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT (WHOM I HAD FLOWN WITH SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED ME THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN WRITE-UP IN THE CABIN MAINT LOGBOOK WRITTEN BY A FLT ATTENDANT ON A PREVIOUS FLT EARLIER IN THE DAY ADVISING THAT THE FORWARD COFFEE MAKER WILL NOT BREW. I ASKED HER IF THERE WAS AN 'MX' WRITTEN BESIDE THE DISCREPANCY CODE AND SHE SAID NO. HAD THERE BEEN AN 'MX' THERE I COULD HAVE CALLED MAINT CTL TO EITHER FIX IT OR PUT IT ON MEL. IT JUST SO HAPPENED THAT A MECH WAS IN THE FLT DECK FOR ANOTHER ISSUE AND WE ADVISED HER OF THE COFFEE MAKER IN THE CABIN MAINT LOG. THE MECH ACKNOWLEDGED THIS AND WE PUSHED OFF THE GATE ON TIME (ALMOST) AND FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO OMAHA. JUST PRIOR TO PUSH FROM OMAHA; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT SHE LOOKED IN THE CABIN MAINT LOG AND THAT THERE WAS INDEED AN 'MX' BESIDE THE DISCREPANCY CODE FOR THE COFFEE MAKER. APPARENTLY; WHEN SHE TOLD ME THERE WASN'T ONE IN PHOENIX SHE WAS GOING BY MEMORY RATHER THAN ACTUALLY LOOKING IT UP. WE THEN CALLED MAINT CTL AND GOT THE COFFEE MAKER PUT ON A DELAYED PLACARD INSTALLATION AND FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO PHOENIX. SUGGESTION #1: HAVE ALL WRITE-UPS IN THE FLT DECK LOGBOOK ONLY TO BE WRITTEN IN BY A PLT OR MECH. SUGGESTION #2: CAPT MUST SEE IT FOR HIMSELF VERSUS TAKING THE WORD OF OTHERS.