[Eliot Ness]

I don't care for Plactic Wood because it dries so hard and is then difficult to work with. I prefer Elmer's Wood Putty, it is easier to work with and takes stain a little better than the other.

With either the circular wood patch or a putty fill I would finish up with artists paints. You can match the veneer color pretty well and then use a fine brush to match up the grain pattern. I did this to a beautiful A.K. 82 cabinet that had a row of holes drilled along the side near the bottom molding for some odd reason

That project turned out a lot better than I thought it would and blended in very well. You are fortunate that the hole is on the side, it won't be nearly as visible as if it were on the front.