We went through a major kitchen remodel two years ago. I'll agree with the general sentiment that the $28K quote isn't crazy. Electricians, in particular, charge thoroughly insane amounts of money to do very simple things. Plumbers come in second in the insanity department. You could well save some money doing some or all of this yourself.

One place I'd encourage you to splurge is on a proper ventilation hood. Our kitchen was built with an anemic downdraft thing. We replaced it with an updraft model, which required an electrician to run power to it and an HVAC guy to install the exhaust tubing and cut a new hole in the outside wall to make it all fit. It was a pain to do, but well worth it now that we can cook something smokey without setting off the fire alarm.

One thing to look for is where and how your cabinets are made. The firm I hired cuts everything on a fancy numerical milling machine, so you've got some confidence that it's all going to fit together at the end, versus having somebody try to throw it all together on site from raw materials.

Also, allow me to suggest you avoid granite (which our kitchen has everywhere). Instead, should you want some kind of stone, go with one of the synthetic brands, which have the property that they're completely non-porous. You don't need to seal them. You don't have to worry about stains. If I could go back again, I'd definitely make that change.

Also, we got a monster big sink, which turns out to be incredibly useful.