I don't have any experience with it, but the Performance frame looks good for the price. Although not pictured, it comes with a carbon fork. The only thing that jumps out at me on their geometry chart is that the two largest sizes have short chain stays. If you're tall that might mean you'll get heel strike with a pannier. The smaller sizes don't have this problem.
I do have a Cross Check, and I like it a lot. The one complaint I have about the Cross Check is that the head tube is quite short. If you like a relatively upright riding position, that means you'll need a stem with some rise. On the other hand, if you like a low riding position, this may be a plus for you.
I also have a Kona Jake. You can get it as a frameset from Kona dealers. The new Jakes are a little more race oriented than they were before the 2011 model, but if you can get an older Jake or Jake the Snake frameset, it makes a great commuter/road bike. The ride is similar to the Cross Check. The Jake is just a tiny bit lighter and slightly more nimble, but the Cross Check takes wider tires.
Other frames I would consider are the Soma Double Cross and the Specialized Tri-Cross. I'm not sure if the lower level Tri-Crosses are available as framesets.