If you want to check out some reviews on the tires your LBS carries, check out this website:

http://www.roadbikereview.com/

That's where I check out the roadie gear, since this stuff is still pretty foreign to a mountain biker like me. I just bought some Continental Ultra 2000 tires (700 x 23) on sale at Supergo. They were about half-price at $14.95, the reviews were OK, and I figured that at that price, I couldn't go wrong. Even with the expense of shipping, they were cheaper than most of the good tires at the LBS. They are wire bead, but I didn't have a bit of trouble putting them on. In fact, I put them on without using the tire irons, something I can rarely do. I've ridden about 40 miles or so on them so far, and they seem fine.