I actually just split the difference and went with 25's on both front and back. I figure that gives me some of the benefits of a wider tire, without being mismatched or large. I ordered the Gatorskins from Amazon and went ahead and got 4 tubes as well so I can have them handy. It sucks to be over an hour from a bike shop so I guess I'll keep these kinds of things on-hand.
Thank you guys for the input! Now to go look at handlebars.
Also, for what it's worth, my bike has OURY grips on them. I didn't like the way they looked at first glance, but they are really comfy so I think the steel fork combined with the cushy grips and a mid-range Gatorskin should absorb some road noise and give a good ride. I'll try to remember to report back here after putting it all through some riding.