I'm 5'8" and ride a Surly Troll Medium with 26 x 3" Knard tires with 2 x 11 drivetrain. The thought process on building this bike was akin to "Compact Utility Bike," so get groceries for 4, pull kid trailer, ride on the beach, Chicago Snow/Slush; hopefully some bikepacking this summer.
I'd also test ridden a Medium Surly Wednesday and Kona Wo. Both great fun but a lot of rubber to push around for day to day riding.
For longer distances, after about a year or so, I got a second wheel set so I can swap out some more city friendly wheels with Schwalbe Big Ben 26 x 2.125.
Best of luck.