If you find a good LBS (preferably 2 or 3 of them) that care about getting you what you want, you can find a nice bike with gearing you like. If you can barely push a 30T/28t up a long 10%, then IMO you ought to look at going lower. At best with a compact you can stay the same. For those nasty Bay Area hills, I love my 48-36-26 with an 11-34 in the back, but many others can get up those nasty hills without such low gearing.

I believe you CAN find the bike of your dreams, but the true bike of your dreams will include the gearing you like. Don't compromise. If the LBS isn't working with you to get exactly what you want, find another LBS. If the LBS looks down on triples, find one that doesn't. Even if you end up with a compact, buy from someone who cares about what you want, not someone who thinks what you want isn't studly enough. My LBS swapped out my rear cassette and derailleur for zero cost to give me what I wanted, and didn't make me feel bad for what I wanted. That bike of your dreams is out there, even if the LBS needs to swap out components for a reasonable cost. Get what you want, not less than what you want.