I've used Marathons and Marathon Pluses as my commuting tire. I do notice that they are a different on wet surfaces, particularly when it's cool and wet. But I haven't found anything better. I do ride Paselas and Contis on some of my "fair weather" bikes but having a wider tire is kind of nice for a commute.
There are all kinds of tires sold as "cyclo-cross" and you might start there. Perhaps you could sacrifice a little flat protection for better ride quality.