For me, the best piecing thread is Aurifil. People often baulk at the price, but ArchaicArcane did a price comparison a while ago which may surprise you (can't get the link to open for posting - sorry).
For quilting you need a 90/14 Topstich needle or bigger, if you have a thread thicker than 40wt - the most common quilting weight. It's also possible to quilt with piecing/50wt thread, but if there are only two twists instead of three, you may find it breaks more easily.
I like Superior King Tut for quilting - rare to get a break, but I have also quilted very successfully with Connecting Threads on a long arm.