I just was browsing a site, and came across a tire I saw before, and would like to try if I ever had a suitable bike.

The Schwalbe Big Apple 29er tire. It is nice and wide, with a road worthy tread. When I wear out the tires on my 26" backup bike, I plan to give the 26" version a try.

And as I was rereading your original post, I don't think you need convincing about staying with wide tires, but are looking for the right tires. These might be the answer. Plenty of width without the knobs that can be noisy and also add a a little bit of a squirmy feeling to the ride on pavement.