Yep, sage advice to be sure.

I was in your exact situation a few years back and did precisely what's been recommended. I had an idea of what I wanted, went to a few shops and wound up buying a bike from the shop that seemed to the most interested in my business, and appeared to be happy selling me what I wanted and what was within my budget. I wound up with an aluminum bike with claris on it. Not much more entry level than that. I rode that bike like I stole it for 5 years and the only upgrade I made was changing the shifters to get rid of the thumb buttons. I've gotten a new bike since then, but I still ride that bike at times.